Atlanta Intown - October 2016

CONTACT US

Editorial

Collin Kelley

INtown Editor

collin@atlantaintownpaper.com

(404) 917-2200, ext. 102

Contributors

Stephanie Stuckey Benfield, Sally Bethea, Kathy Dean, Grace Huseth, Asep Mawardi, Martha Nodar, Marcos Ordaz, Isadora Pennington, Clare S. Richie, Tim Sullivan, Jaclyn Turner, Megan Volpert, Diane Wynocker

Submissions

Article queries and calendar submissions should be emailed to collin@ atlantaintownpaper.com

Advertising

Forinformationcall

(404)917-2200ext130.

Sales Executives

Jeff Kremer

Janet Porter

Jim Speakman

Jan Tassitano

Circulation/ Subscriptions

Each month, 37,000 copies of Atlanta INtown are mailed to homes and distributed to businesses in and around ZIP codes 30306, 30307, 30308, 30309, 30324 and 30329. For delivery information, call (404) 917-2200, ext. 110.

Published By Springs Publishing LLC

Atlanta INtown • Reporter Newspapers

6065 Roswell Road, Suite 225 Sandy Springs, GA 30328

Phone: (404) 917-2200

Fax: (404) 917-2201

Steve Levene Founder & Publisher

stevelevene@reporternewspapers.net

(404) 917-2200, ext. 111

Amy Arno Director of Sales Development amyarno@reporternewspapers.net

(404) 917-2200, ext. 112

Rico Figliolini

Creative Director

rico@reporternewspapers.net

(404) 917-2200, ext. 117

Harry J. Pinkney Jr. Graphic Designer harry@reporternewspapers.net

(404) 917-2200, ext. 123

Deborah Davis

Office Manager

deborahdavis@reporternewspapers.net

(404) 917-2200, ext. 110

© 2016 All rights reserved. Publisher reserves the right to refuse editorial or advertising for any reason.

Publisher assumes no responsibility for information contained in advertising. Any opinions expressed in print or online do not necessarily represent the views of Atlanta INtown or Springs Publishing, LLC.

AtlantaINtown

On the

favorite burger joints around Intown to capture even more mouthwatering goodness. Turn to Page 40.

Save Money, Make Money, Shop Smart

Introducing Atlanta Senior Life

Did you know that 10,000 Baby Boomers are turning 65 every day? I didn’t realize that so many members of the “Woodstock generation” were signing up for Medicare and Social Security already!

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

FURNISHINGS: NEW LOCATION >

FARMHOUSE PAINT

The Original “Single Step” Furniture Paint without any waxing.

www.fkconsign.com

with an open floor plan including the heart of home kitchen opening to the casual dining and family room with adjacent formal dining room. The first floor also includes a living room, study or first floor bedroom and full bathroom. The upstairs of the home has a private master wing, three additional bedrooms with accompanying bathrooms, laundry room and inviting family den all nestled beside Fernbank Forest and close to Emory University, the CDC, Emory Village and Druid Hills Golf Club!

That got us thinking about a local publishing opportunity geared toward this burgeoning segment of the population. With that in mind, we are pleased to announce that Springs Publishing LLC, parent company of Reporter Newspapers and Atlanta INtown, has acquired the local edition of Senior News of Georgia and will relaunch it as Atlanta Senior Life.

The new monthly publication’s target audience is the flourishing 65+ active senior population, which is the metro area’s fastest-growing age group according to the Atlanta Regional Commission. Atlanta’s 65+ population is a large and diverse market, with active adults who have the means and motivation to enjoy their lives. Atlanta Senior Life will provide these readers with fresh, timely and engaging information focused on where they live.

Atlanta Senior Life will be similar in format to our other papers, with crisp graphic design and high-quality, full color printing. It will have an initial circulation of 20,000 copies, distributed to selected locations where active seniors live, work, volunteer and play in the north metro areas of Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton counties.

Did you know that 10,000 Baby Boomers are turning 65 every day? I didn’t realize that so many members of the “Woodstock generation” were signing up for Medicare and Social Security already!

Atlanta’s 65+ population is a large and diverse market, with active adults who have the means and motivation to enjoy their lives. Atlanta

Atlanta Senior Life represents our sixth community-oriented paper since the company was launched nearly 10 years ago with the Sandy Springs Reporter and Buckhead Reporter. We started the Brookhaven Reporter in 2009 and the Dunwoody Reporter the next year; Atlanta INtown was acquired in 2013. Combined free circulation for the bi-weekly Reporter Newspapers and the monthly Atlanta INtown is 97,000 copies.

Senior Life will provide these readers with fresh, timely and engaging information focused on where they live.

That got us thinking about a local publishing opportunity geared toward this burgeoning segment of the population. With that in mind, we are pleased to announce that Springs Publishing LLC, parent company of Reporter Newspapers and Atlanta INtown, has acquired the local edition of Senior News of Georgia and will relaunch it as Atlanta Senior Life

Atlanta Senior Life will be similar in format to our other papers, with crisp graphic design and high quality, full color printing. It will have an initial circulation of 20,000 copies, distributed to selected locations where active seniors live, work, volunteer and play in the north metro areas of Cobb, DeKalb and Fulton counties.

started the Brookhaven Reporter in 2009 and the Dunwoody Reporter the next year; Atlanta INtown was acquired in 2013. Combined free circulation for the bi-weekly Reporter Newspapers and the monthly Atlanta INtown is 97,000 copies.

Look for the inaugural issue of Atlanta Senior Life in October around your community or find the first digital edition online at atlantaseniorlife.com.

As always, I welcome your feedback; please email me at publisher@ reporternewspapers.net.

The new monthly publication’s target audience is the flourishing 65+ active senior population, which is the metro area’s fastest-growing age group according to the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Atlanta Senior Life represents our sixth community-oriented paper since the company was launched nearly 10 years ago with the Sandy Springs Reporter and Buckhead Reporter. We

Look for the inaugural issue of Atlanta Senior Life in October around your community or find the first digital edition online at www.atlantaseniorlife.com. As always, I welcome your feedback; please email me at publisher@reporternewspapers.net.

2853 E. College Avenue Twin Oaks Shopping Center

Steve Levene Founder & Publisher Springs Publishing LLC

one end unit left! These three-story luxury townhomes each feature an elevator, private courtyard, a guest suite located above the two-car garage, a kitchen with all Wolf appliances and the finest finishes throughout!

The Neighborhood

City Design

Pop-up studio encourages community to discuss city growth

By Clare S. Richie

Intown residents, design professionals and curious urbanists are encouraged to stop by Ponce City Market in the Old Fourth and visit Atlanta City Studio. The pop-up studio is the place to learn about and give input on the city’s plan for projected population growth of 1.3 million residents by 2050 and other projects.

“Atlanta City Studio is essentially a retail location for the city’s Department of Planning and Community Development that’s highly accessible,” Department of Planning and Community Development Commissioner Tim Keane said. “It’s a place for the community to engage in the design and future of the city.”

Earlier this year, Mayor Kasim Reed’s office launched the Atlanta City Design Project, led by Atlanta BeltLine originator Ryan Gravel. The project will create a framework for how Atlanta can grow equitably and sustainably while maintaining its core character.

Staffed by a team of city planners, architects and transportation professionals, “the studio is one of the primary locations for Atlanta City Design Project. We have very organized ways for people to provide input,” Keane said.

So, next time you are at Ponce City Market, head to the Atlanta City Studio, located on the second floor across from Elk Head Clothing to see the latest urban design concepts, rotating exhibits about Atlanta neighborhoods, and give your feedback.

What can you expect when you stop by?

“There’s always a greeter to welcome you and answer questions. There are interactive exhibits – like the wall of clipboard questions posed by Ryan Gravel. He reads all the written comments,” Jodi Mansbach, who oversees the studio, said.

Or you may wish to attend one of the many events hosted in the studio – lectures, book talks, film series, open forums and more.

The Book Club, which meets the second Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m., explores how urban design and planning classics, and the latest titles apply to Atlanta. RSVP to atlcitystudio@atlantaga.gov.

There’s also Good Urbanism 101: Ten Lessons for Designing Cities, which meets the

fourth Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. Sponsored by the UPS Foundation, The Georgia Conservancy offers a free 90-minute seminar on urban design history, principles and current practices with an emphasis on walkability, alternative transportation and sustainability.

Design Over Doughnuts (DoD) meets the second and fourth Friday of the month from 8 to 9 a.m. All are welcome to join the studio team in a casual conversation about design in Atlanta and other model cities.

At the Sept. 9 DoD, about 20 attendees that included Keane, Gravel, students, community members, architects, real estate brokers, planners and urban designers, discussed “large urban parks.”

The conversation started with Chastain Park. At 268 acres, it’s the city’s largest park with many programmed activities like concerts, golf, tennis and baseball. Realtor Keith Sharp talked about the possibility of a new larger park along the Chattahoochee River called Riverwalk Atlanta Park. The vision is a linear park along a 5-mile stretch of the Chattahoochee – from Marietta Boulevard to Hollowel Parkway. Similar parks exist in Chattanooga and Nashville.

Tilly Hatcher with Provision Project brought up wellused New York City Parks – Bryant Park and Prospect Park – surrounded by high-density housing without backyards. Ryan Yurcaba with Historical Concepts mentioned Frick Park in Pittsburgh. This park is 400 acres in a historic neighborhood with a cemetery similar to Oakland Cemetery and a trail system. The conversation also included the importance of the separation of public and private space, transportation to the park, and park safety’s correlation to “eyes on the park.”

The Atlanta City Studio will remain at Ponce City Market through the end of 2016. In January 2017 it will relocate for the next six months to a retail location on the Westside, possibly on MLK Jr. Drive or Cascade Road. Moving locations is intentional to encourage residents throughout the city to access the studio and their voice to the city planning process.

For more information you can follow Atlanta City Studio on Facebook at facebook. com/atlcitystudio.

The Atlanta City Studio at Ponce City Market is hosting regular events for the community to stop in and discuss the future growth of the city. In the photos above, Atlanta BeltLine creator Ryan Gravel talks with residents during a recent “Design Over Dooughnuts” (left), while Community Development Commissioner Tim Keane meets with residents about creating and sustaining large urban parks. In the photo below, visitors to the studio look at ideas for the city’s growth posted on clipboards.

Atlanta preparing for more than 1.3 million people by 2050

By Clare S. Richie

The city of Atlanta’s population could grow to be 1.3 million people by 2050. This “big number” was revealed last month at the public talk, “How Big Can Atlanta Be?”

This is the first in a series of presentations to share work being done by Ryan Gravel, originator of the Atlanta BeltLine, and the Department of Planning and Community Development’s Atlanta City Studio on a framing document to accommodate growth, called “Atlanta City Design.”

“What do we want to the city to be in 25 to 35 years?” Commissioner Tim Keane posed to a packed Central Library auditorium of local officials – like Atlanta City Council members Ceasar Mitchell and Mary Norwood, planners, transit advocates, water advocates, GT students and concerned citizens. Keane emphasized that this 12-month planning process will be “very public” and “involve residents.”

Gravel followed with a message that Atlanta is going to change, but more people are better for our city if we plan strategically for growth now.

Dr. Arthur C. Nelson, a professor of Planning & Real Estate Development at University of Arizona (and formerly Georgia Tech), then led a discussion explaining the data behind the “big number.” The metro Atlanta region is expected to grow to 9 million people by 2050, of which 15 percent or 1.3 million would chose to be city of Atlanta residents.

Based on his experience studying other cities, Nelson introduced concepts for how Atlanta could embrace and accommodate this growth - such as focused redevelopment of aging strip centers and infill development “below the tree line,” while preserving most residential communities.

Nelson and Keane fielded questions from the audience about the impact of growth on education, water/sewer, transportation and affordability. Keane

explained that he is involving others, like Atlanta Public Schools, in this planning process.

The next presentation is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, October 4, at 6 p.m. at Central Library. Ryan Gravel is expected to discuss Atlanta’s core values, “What Atlanta Is,” and share the preliminary design for how the city can accommodate 1.3 million people by 2050.

Atlanta Streets Alive Final event of the year returns to Peachtree

The final Atlanta Streets Alive event of the year is set for Sunday, Oct. 23, from 2 to 6 p.m. along Peachtree Street. The event is an initiative of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition.

A 2.7-mile stretch of the city’s main thoroughfare – from Edgewood Avenue in Downtown to 17th Street in Midtown – will be closed to motorized vehicles and open to people on foot, bike, skates and skateboards.

Participants can expect a wealth of activities hosted by community organizations and companies along the route, with local businesses and restaurants expanding onto the sidewalks to attract customers.

The event will kick off with a bicycle parade at 2 p.m. at the intersection of 16th and Peachtree. For more information, visit atlantastreetsalive.org.

Ryan Gravel, top photo, and Tim Keane discuss the city’s population and solutions for smart growth during a public symposisum.

ON THE AGENDA

MEETINGS

Atlanta City Council meets Monday, Oct. 3, and Monday, Oct. 17 at 1 p.m. at City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave. citycouncil.atlantaga.gov.

Atlanta Public Schools Board of Education meets Monday, Oct. 10, 6 p.m. at 130 Trinity Ave. atlanta.k12.ga.us.

The Atlanta BeltLine Design Review Committee meets Wednesday, Oct. 19, at 5p.m. at 100 Peachtree Street NW, Suite 2300. beltline. org.

Neighborhood Planning Unit - M, which includes Downtown, meets Monday, Oct. 24, 6:15 p.m. at the Helene S. Mills Senior Facility, 515 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. atlantaga.gov.

NEWS

Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. has approved a new budget that includes plans to issue bonds, including $40 million for capital projects, $20 million for debt repayment, $7.5 million for affordable housing and $2.5 million for economic development.

The Atlanta City Council is conducting a study to determine the feasibility of the City of Atlanta to increase the minimum wage for all full-time city employees to $15 per hour paid in increments over a three-year period beginning in 2018. The feasibility study is expected to be complete by December.

Mayor Kasim Reed met with President Barack Obama at the White House in September to discuss how the TransPacific Partnership can benefit American workers and business, and further national security.

A Fulton County judge has ruled that several annexations approved by the City of Atlanta were improper and violated state law. The decision will now clear the way for residents to vote on creating a City of South Fulton in November.

Opportunity Knocking?

Voters to decide on creation of statewide school district in November

By Collin Kelley

Voters will decide whether to create the Opportunity School District, which requires a constitutional amendment to takeover chronically failing public schools statewide, by referendum on Nov. 8.

During the Sept. 8 Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods meeting, Erin Hames, credited as architect of the OSD reform while working as Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Legislative Affairs for Gov. Nathan Deal, outlined the details of the OSD and why it could help thousands of students in underperforming schools.

The OSD would create a new school district that would have its own superintendent appointed by the governor. Schools that have consistently fallen below 60 on the state accountability system for three consecutive years could be brought into the OSD.

The accountability system measures every school on student achievement, growth and progress, and whether the school is closing the gap between the lowest performing students and the state average. Schools are then given a score of 0 to 100.

Hames said there are currently 127 schools that meet the criteria for OSD, with 22 of those being in the Atlanta Public Schools (APS) district. No more than 20 schools in any given year can be taken over by the state and the OSD is capped at having 100 schools.

Hames said the OSD was modeled on similar reforms created by Louisiana and Tennessee. All of New Orleans’ public schools were taken over by the state after Hurricane Katrina and converted to charter schools, she said.

“The improvements made in New Orleans are incredible,” Hames said. “A

WALKtober

Four weeks of fun on foot around Intown

Pedestrian advocacy organization

PEDS is hosting WALKtober Oct. 1-31, a series of walks that will explore the BeltLine, neighborhoods and historic sites.

PEDS will lead five fun walks and is encouraging people in the community to create and lead others. Walks are free and open to all.

• Saturday, Oct. 1: Northside BeltLine Trail, 10 a.m.

• Thursday, Oct. 6: Oakland Cemetery, 6 p.m.

• Saturday, Oct. 15: Lullwater Preserve, 10 a.m.

• Saturday, Oct. 22: Westview Cemetery, 2 p.m.

• Monday, Oct. 31: Midtown Java Walk, 7:30 a.m.

“WALKtober is all about the fun of exploring someplace new or enjoying the outdoors with others,” said PEDS President Sally Flocks. “Singles, families, friends, millennials or seniors…if you’re a walking enthusiast, we hope you’ll join

NPR [National Public Radio] study showed it’s the largest and fastest turnaround in the nation’s history, with graduation rates increasing by 19 percent.”

Under Georgia’s OSD, the state would have four options for underperforming schools: a full takeover; shared operation with a school’s local district; conversion to charter school; and, as a last resort, closing the school.

Former APS Board of Education member

Cecily Harsch-Kinnane, an opponent of the OSD, said she believed the plan was wellintentioned, but unnecessary. Preferring the term “chronically struggling” schools, she said the Georgia Department of Education already has the power to help troubled schools and questioned why a constitutional amendment was necessary.

Harsch-Kinnane also refuted the successes of Louisiana’s reform, stating that statistics show that New Orleans now has a high number of dropouts and that ACT scores were so low that kids can’t go to college. “As a model, I wouldn’t say that Louisiana’s plan has been a raging success,” she commented.

Another opponent, Michelle Constantinides, said the OSD plan failed to address issues within the community where a failing school is located. “Are there medical needs? Are the kids coming to school hungry? Are they rested? I wish the governor would look at these issues as well,” she said. “There’s one school in APS

where 52 languages are spoken. How is that addressed?”

Harsch-Kinnane agreed, stating that a school cannot be fixed without fixing the community. “There needs to be a focus on health, housing, psychological issues and public safety,” she said.

Current APS Board of Education member Nancy Meister said the district had been working hard alongside Superintendent Meria Carstarphen to turnaround the 22 failing schools.

“We are trying to be proactive so we don’t became part of OSD should it happen,” Meister said. “We have targeted our lowest performing schools, partnered with outside resources, and took $23 million out of this year’s budget to turn these schools around so we are not on the list.”

APS Board of Education chair Courtney English said the district was “locked like a laser on what’s best for the kids.”

“We have a turnaround plan in place and we’re going to be successful,” English said.

one or more of our five fun walks, or plan your own walk and add it to the calendar at walktoberATL. org.”

Walks can go anywhere or even have a theme. A few ideas: Walk to School Day (which is a national event on Oct. 5), explore Chattahoochee Nature, Morningside Nature Preserve or Arabia Mountain, or dress up and lead a Halloween walk.

Once a walk is on the calendar, anyone in the community is welcome to join. Be sure to visit walktoberatl.org for the latest calendar of walks and to RSVP for the PEDS walks.

Opportunity School District opponent Cecily Harsch-Kinnane talks to the Buckhead Council of Neighborhoods, while OSD architect Erin Hames listens.

Marc Merlin

Intown residents explore the city’s neighborhoods during recent walks hosted by PEDS, the pedestrian advocacy organization.

Design of park over Ga. 400 draws questions, concerns

A rendering showing a possible 9-acre park over Ga. 400, spanning from Lenox Road to Peachtree Street, with connections to two MARTA stations, as well as the PATH400 multi-use trail and park system.

By Jaclyn Turner

A dramatic design for a new park capping Ga. 400 through the business district got its first public presentation—and first public questions—at the Buckhead Theatre Sept. 7.

The serpentine design curving above a half-mile of the highway in a series of bridges drew attention for its looks, and also for its estimated cost of $195 million to $245 million.

“I’m always in favor of more green space for Buckhead, if we can afford it,” said Livable Buckhead board member Sally Silver. “We don’t have answers to how it’s going to be funded.”

The Buckhead Community Improvement District, a self-taxing business district, has discussed the possible park for years and commissioned the current proposal from Rogers Partners Architects + Urban Designers. The idea is to provide more green space in central Buckhead.

Robert M. Rogers from Rogers Partners presented the designs of the 9-acre linear park over Ga. 400 as a way to make strategic connections to enhance the life of the district. The park would span from Lenox Road to Peachtree Street, connecting MARTA’s Buckhead station between the Atlanta Financial Center and Lenox Road/Buckhead Loop. There would be connections with two MARTA stations and the PATH400 multi-use trail and park system.

The park would be built atop a series of relative slender bridges, rather than a tunnel completely capping the highway. That would be easier to build, Rogers said.

The park would consist of three parts: a “Garden,” a “Plaza” and a “Commons” area bisected by a line of trees for shade. The garden would be a more intimate space for public art, strolling and picnicking. The plaza would have space for a big screen, gatherings and food trucks. The Commons would include an amphitheater and space for outdoor sports and activities.

Many residents attending the session expressed concern about funding, park safety and traffic. Residents of the MeridianBuckhead condos, joined by General Manager Edward Jarrett, expressed concerns about possible tax increases from the park project.

Some CID board members have had similar questions about costs, feasibility and whether it is appropriate for the CID to design such a park.

No funds for the park are in place. The CID hopes to seek money from both the public and private sector, including federal, state and city money.

As for traffic, the CID hopes to use materials that can be created offsite and installed to minimize traffic on one of the metro area’s busiest roadways. No additional parking would be created for the park, with hopes that visitors would use existing parking lots for evening and weekend events.

The CID is accepting public input on the park proposal, and its board eventually will vote on whether to move ahead with further design and construction. That could happen as early as the board’s Oct. 5 meeting, according to the CID website. For more information and a full presentation of the park proposal, see buckheadcid.com.

ROGERS PARTNERS

A rendering of the proposed park from Peachtree Road.

ROGERS PARTNERS

In Their Shoes

Midnight Walk fundraiser to bring empathy, awareness to Atlanta’s homelessness population

By Grace Huseth

The Atlanta Dream Center uses strategic efforts to reach, rescue and restore homeless individuals, but public empathy and perception is also a major solution to the crisis.

To fully understand the homeless community, the Atlanta Dream Center has invited people to walk in their shoes during the Midnight Walk on Oct. 7. The fundraiser will help Atlantans better empathize with the suffering that characterizes homelessness as well as change the way it is perceived.

“Some people are afraid of homelessness, but when they experience it they realize they are normal people simply living in a different circumstance,”

said Pastor Paul Palmer, founder of the Atlanta Dream Center.

The center, a nonprofit organization based in the Old Fourth Ward, was formed by Palmer. For 13 years he has built various ministries that have reached the homeless, victims of commercial sexual exploitation and kids who are being neglected in their own homes.

The Midnight Walk will help fund the center’s iAM ministry that places individuals struggling with homelessness, addiction or domestic violence into longterm recovery programs. Each participant in the Midnight Walk will donate a minimum of $50 to iAM outreach efforts.

Nick McLean, homeless outreach coordinator, said the night will start by engaging conversations with the homeless while serving them a free dinner.

Volunteers with the Atlanta Dream Center pause to pray during last year’s Midnight Walk fundraiser to raise awareness about the homeless population in the city.

Afterward they will do a prayer walk through the city, passing by troubled areas including the jail, strip clubs and Greyhound station.

“Our heart for the night is about relating. We want this to be an experience for us to relate to their reality,” McLean said.

At midnight, a candlelight vigil will be held on the Jackson Street Bridge overlooking Atlanta. The goal is to have 366 people light a candle to represent each night of 2016 (a Leap Year) that a homeless individual has slept or will sleep on the streets of the city.

The nearly four-mile walk will end at the center around 1:30 a.m., with the option of staying the remainder of the night, sleeping on cardboard boxes in the center’s parking lot.

The walk is another outreach by members, who have been going to the same neighborhoods every Thursday for years to feed the homeless.

“Our whole mission is to consistently show love and compassion to the people we see on the streets,” McLean said. “We want them to know they are worth it and that they are valuable.”

For more information and to register, visit atldreamcenter.com/midnightwalk.

Uber, Lyft airport pickups to begin Jan. 1

The Atlanta City Council has voted to approve a plan to legalize ride-sharing pickups by Uber, Lyft and other car services at HartsfieldJackson Atlanta International Airport. Legal pickups will begin on Jan. 1, 2017.

The city’s plan allows taxis and ride-share companies to pursue either for-hire endorsement or utilize a private background security check, consistent with state law. Companies choosing to use private security checks will be required to pay a security surcharge of $2.35 per ride.

Other highlights of the plan:

• Transportation providers will be required to apply for an annual permit of $50 per vehicle, up to $100,000 annually.

• Per-ride fee of $1.50 will be maintained for taxis and limos, and implemented for ride-shares.

• Ride-sharing vehicles and taxis will be subject to a seven-year age limit.

• Drivers will wait for customers in a designated ride-sharing area supported by geo-fencing technology.

• All vehicles must display a decal while providing transportation services at the airport.

PUBLIC SAFETY BRIEFS

The Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (AFRD) has been awarded a $5.6 million grant from the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (S.A.F.E.R.) Program of the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The $5.6 million grant will enable AFRD to hire 47 new sworn firefighters. This is the second S.A.F.E.R. grant awarded to the City of Atlanta Fire Rescue Department under the Reed Administration. The first grant for $10 million was awarded in 2011 and resulted in 75 firefighters being hired.

City of Decatur residents can now text 9-1-1 in case of an emergency. Texting to 9-1-1 provides accessibility to the hearing- and speech-impaired population, and provides an alternative to reach help in a dangerous situation when a voice call is not possible or where a voice call fails due to a high volume of phone activity. To use the system, enter the numbers “911” in the “To” field. The first text message to 9-1-1 should be brief and contain the location of the emergency and type of help needed. Be prepared to answer questions and follow instructions from the 9-1-1 call taker. Also do not use abbreviations and keep messages brief and concise.

The Atlanta Police Foundation

recently hosted the 13th annual Crime is Toast Breakfast, which included the annual awards ceremony to recognize acts of bravery and dedication by men and women in blue throughout the year. Winners include: Officers Rodney Jones Jr. and Dennis Brooks (Officers of the Year); Investigator Vincent Velaquez (Investigator of the Year); Lt. Anthony Singh (Supervisor of the Year); Automated Fingerprint Identification System Team – Sandra Tullis, Anthony Johnson, Raymond Lauzon and Antoinette Clay (Civilian Employee of the Year); Scandia McCray (Civilian Supervisor of the Year); Officers Ronald Paxson and Kimberly Williams (Department Commendation); Officer Justin FongBorden (Purple Heart); Officer TaSheena Brown (Medal of Honor); Officers Bahri Durmishi and Juan Nunez (Meritorious Service Award); Douglas Evans (Marion Lee Trailblazer Award); Sgt. Alicia Turner (Judge Arthur Kaplan Community Service Award); Investigator David Quinn (Dennis P. Mullen Lifetime Achievement Award); Zone 3 (COBRA-Crime Reduction Award); and Zone 4 (Safe Cruiser Operator Award).

The Atlanta City Council has approved spending up to $300,000 to have the Atlanta Police Foundation install at least 23 additional closed-circuit cameras in Councilmember Yolanda Adrean’s District 8 in Buckhead.

Atlanta Police Department Sgt. Alicia Turner received the Kaplan Community Service Award during the recent Crime is Toast breakfast and awards ceremony.

3521 Vernadean Drive • $399,900 1820 Peachtree Street, No. 506 • $479,900 1800 Charline Avenue • $799,900

Dresden Drive • $369,900

Neighborhood Hot List: Cabbagetown

Nestled on the eastside of the city in the shadow the former Fulton Bag and Cotton Mill, Cabbagetown has long been a haven for Intown’s artist and bohemians. The neighborhood was once home to the mill workers, but has now been reclaimed by singles and families looking for a close-knit community.

1. The Stacks

The massive Fulton Bag & Cotton Mill was renovated in 1999, kicking off the city’s loft craze. The giant smokestacks now preside over apartments and condos.

2. Krog TunnelStreet

The graffiti-covered tunnel that connects Cabbagetown to DeKalb Avenue underneath CSX-Hulsey Yard has been made world-famous in photo shoots and music videos.

3. Dining

Thousands attend this music and chili festival, which will be held Nov. 7 this year, in Cabbagetown Park.

4. Homes

The colorful shotguns and cottages were the homes of the workers at the cotton mill, but are now sought-after by those looking to settle Intown.

5.

HEALTH BRIEFS

For the fifth year in a row, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Emory University Hospital the number one hospital in both Georgia and metro Atlanta in its 2016-17 Best Hospitals Guide. For more on the rankings, visit health.usnews.com/best-hospitals.

Potential) EmPower Party on Oct. 6 at 6 p.m., at Flourish in Buckhead. The evening opens with cocktails and a silent auction, followed by a gourmet dinner and program fearing the iconic stars of “Grace and Frankie” and “9 to 5.” There will also be a live auction of travel and dining experiences and sought-after items. For tickets and information, visit gcapp.org/ empower.

Visit

Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin will share the stage for GCAPP’s (Georgia Committee for Adolescent Power and

The Georgia Center for Child Advocacy’s (GCCA) Cheer for Children Ball celebrates its 21st anniversary on Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at The Foundry at Puritan Mill (916 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd.). This year’s theme is “Gatsby: Stepping Back in Time to Make a Better Future for Children.” The largest fundraiser for the GCCA, the event features food, live entertainment, silent and live auctions.

Veteran forensic expert and pathologist Dr. Jan Gorniak has been named the new Chief Medical Examiner for Fulton County She comes to the county after serving as Deputy Chief Medical Examiner in the District of Columbia for the past two years. Prior to that position, Dr. Gorniak spent five years as the Franklin County Coroner in Columbus, Ohio, serving as that county’s first full-time forensic pathologist coroner.

Atlanta-based The FitWit Foundation has been awarded a $20,000 grant as part of Target’s ongoing youth wellness efforts. The FitWit Foundation provides free fitness programs that build strength and develop character in young people in middle and high school. For more information, visit thefitwitfoundation.org.

The James M. Cox Foundation has awarded the Food Well Alliance a $3.75 million grant. To date, Food Well Alliance has provided $950,000 to support more than 200 organizations and over 150 urban gardens through their Local Food Grants, Collaborative Design Initiatives and Community Capital Grants. The organization will continue to make similar investments to strengthen and expand the local food movement. To find out more, visit foodwellalliance.org.

carmen pope real estate expert

Atlantic Station will play host to The 5K Walk for the Animals on Sunday, Oct. 16, to raise money for the Atlanta Humane Society. Thousands of animal lovers and their dogs are expected to walk for the cause. The event is the Atlanta Humane Society’s largest fundraising event, and all net proceeds will help save the lives of the city’s homeless animals. For more information, visit atlantahumane.org.

PAWS Atlanta is one of seven grant recipients from across the country to receive funds to help combat dental disease – and promote preventive care – in shelter dogs and cats. The seven grants, totaling $55,000, are the result of money raised through Banfield Pet Hospital’s second children’s book, “My Very, Very Smelly Breath.”

Pet Pick

c.

Meet Lawrence – a really sweet pup in search of a home. He loves any sort of attention from people, but he is just waiting on the right person to understand his calm personality. His ideal life would be going for long walks with his person and being the center of attention. Lawrence would do best in an only-pet home with no young children. To adopt Lawrence or any of the other available cats and dogs, visit PAWSAtlanta at pawsatlanta.org or the shelter at 5287 Covington Highway in Decatur.

NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN

Each January, we feature students from Intown’s public schools, private schools and colleges who have given back to their community in a significant way. Over the last seven years, we’ve featured students who have created their own nonprofits, or have given up summer vacation to work domestically and abroad to help the less fortunate. One even helped build a library

by collecting books.

The 9th annual 20 Under 20 will appear in our January 2017 issue, and we are now seeking nominations of students ages 19 and younger who have committed themselves to service in the community. Nominations are welcome from teachers, counselors, administrators, parents, siblings, fellow students or community leaders. Here’s the information we need:

• Nominator (name, relationship to nominee and contact information)

• Nominee (Name, age, grade, school, parent or guardian names, contact information)

• Characteristics and service: Please provide a paragraph describing why this nominee deserves recognition. Include service projects, goals, interests and areas of interest to help illustrate your point.

The deadline for nominations is Nov. 4. Please email your nominations to editor Collin Kelley at collin@atlantaintownpaper.com.

The old Georgia Archives building is set to be demolished between the Christmas and New Year’s holidays to make way for the new state court campus. Located in Downtown on Capitol Avenue between the Gold Dome and Turner Field, the archives building –known as the “ice cube” due to its windowless, square design – first opened in 1965 to house Georgia’s important documents and treasures. The state had planned to refurbish the building until engineers discovered the building was sinking because of groundwater and years of interstate construction and traffic. Because it was deemed too expensive to renovate, the Georgia Archives moved to a new facility at Clayton State University in Morrow. The old archive building has been used as a TV and film location ever since, most recently in “Ant Man.”

Make Atlanta Cool Again

I love October. It’s the best month of the year in Atlanta. We’ll be football watching and fall festival-ing and for the most part, not sweating. But now that we are safely beyond summer and the nearly 90 days we’ve had this year above 90 degrees, can we talk about the heat? I cringe anytime someone refers to our town as “Hotlanta.” Not because it is so dorky, which it is, but because it is so true it sears.

By Tim Sullivan

marked by walks and run limits. Ninetytwo degrees, but they say it “feels like” 99. I think that’s a pretty plum job by the way. The meteorologists do all the heavy lifting, and then swing it over to Dave at the “Feels Like” desk for his opinion: I don’t know guys, seems even hotter to me! Fall ball? P’shaw! Not unless someone keels over from heat stroke.

I passed the innings by comparing the perspiration patterns on my coach’s shirt to the shirts of all the other coaches. I can’t recall who won the game, and I’m not bragging, but Mark and I had less to be embarrassed about than the opposing coaches.

refreshing that would be! How is it even possible that Ponce City Market doesn’t have a waterslide yet?

Did you know that in 1967 Atlanta saw exactly two days that reached the 90-degree mark?

I’m not looking to start a debate about climate change because it’s too damn hot to debate, but back then you probably could “Ski Lake Claire.”

When I was a kid in New York my mom would say, go outside and be home for dinner. Here we tell our kids to go outside for 7 to 10 minutes or until they feel faint. We escaped to the mountains over Labor Day, but a week later we were back here sweltering on the baseball field. It was one of those kid-pitch classics

Anyway, the question is, what can we do about it? I think we need all hands on deck, starting with the business community. How about Arthur Blank? Since he’s managed to get the taxpayers to foot the bill on the new Falcons stadium maybe he could use his personal fortune to construct a retractable roof over Piedmont Park? Call it Arthur Blank’s Terrarium or something? I don’t care. Just give me a swath of land where I could kick a soccer ball around with my kids in July without feeling like Fudgy the Whale in a frying pan.

And speaking of whales, sorry Bernie Marcus, but we’re going to have to set all the fish free from the aquarium. The kids of Atlanta need a gigantic, indoor swimming pool and you just happen to have one. Outdoor pools are great, but when you char the insoles of your feet walking over the hot coals of a pool deck, it’s just not as fun.

World of Coke On Ice? Just think how

Sara Blakely – people exercising on the BeltLine are sweating out buckets of water weight that is so crucial to SPANX sales. You should install those Kool Zone misting fans all along the 22-mile loop. Sure, it’s an investment, but by curbing the citywide shvitz just think about your bottom line! (And there is a pun in there somewhere involving beltlines and bottoms, yada yada… but my brain is too parboiled to pull it off.)

We’re going to need to elect some folks to office who make reducing the average temperature a cornerstone of their platform. Matty Ice? Maybe when you retire you can take your capabilities for cool to the Gold Dome? And I’m a little conflicted on how I feel about monarchies but if the King of Pops wanted to run for King of Atlanta I’d have to give him my vote. In the meantime, Ted Turner? Would it kill you to invite us all out to Montana for a long weekend? Jeez.

wait is over

Sanctuary Cove is now available. This new 28-lot neighborhood is extraordinary, featuring breathtaking views and offering individual deep water docks. Choose your dream home from an exceptional portfolio of new home designs.

Tim Sullivan grew up in a large family in the Northeast and now lives with his small

Despite the heat, the Sullivan Family managed a getaway to Big Canoe, top photo, and TimmyDaddy himself enjoyed lounging by the pool in Florida.

6 Bedrooms • 6.5 Baths • 3 Finished Levels • 2-Car Garage

Another stunning new home from Parkwood Development. Gorgeous floor plan with luxurious high end finishes. This house is located on a generous corner lot, in the sweet spot of Morningside, nestled among numerous million dollar plus homes. Property is within walking distance to Piedmont Park, The BeltLine, Botanical gardens, and the shops and restaurants of North Highland. This builder has a track record of creating some of the most eye catching homes in Atlanta, merging timeless story book designs with modern amenities . This is a must see!

Lantern Parade

Thousands took part in this year’s kickoff for Art on the BeltLine, which continues through October.

Photos by Isadora Pennington and Asep Mawardi.

From Doctor Who and Pikachu to Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, thousands turned out to march and watch the annual Dragon Con Parade. Photos by Asep Mawardi.

Adaptive Renovation

Stockyards project in West Midtown announces new tenants

Stockyards, the Federal Capital Partners/Westbridge Partners joint-venture adaptive renovation of three historic warehouses in West Midtown, is under construction with an expected opening in the first quarter of 2017.

The project has just announced new tenants, bringing Stockyards to more than 65 percent pre-leased.

The tenants include Atlanta-based creative agency Fitzgerald & CO; sports, events and shopping brand experience agency Momentum Worldwide; and communications and engagement firm Weber Shandwick. All three are members of McCann Worldgroup and will move in with over 200 people sharing more than 43,000 square feet.

Mannington Commercial, a producer of commercial carpet, carpet tile, hardwood and rubber flooring, will open a showroom at Stockyards. The Indigo Road, based in Charleston, S.C., plans to open a restaurant on the site, too.

These new businesses will join The Painted Duck, a sister location to Buckhead’s The Painted Pin, featuring bowling, shuffleboard, horseshoe, food and drinks.

Stockyards will occupy three acres on the corner of 10th Street and Brady Avenue. The tract is one of the last remaining pieces of Atlanta’s historic industrial core. Located on the rail lines, the area served as the central clearinghouse for livestock through the 1800s and into the 1900s, and includes two historic meatpacking buildings constructed in the early 1900s.

Vintage Walgreens opens Downtown

An official grand opening and ribbon cutting for the new Walgreens pharmacy inside the restored Olympia Building in Downtown was held Friday, Sept. 16. Completed in 1936, the building at Five Points is probably best known for having the giant, circular Coca-Cola sign on its roof. The exterior of the building and signage for Walgreens has a vintage look and feel in keeping with its history.

Left and above, a 19th century collection of buildings used as a clearinghouse for livestock and meatpacking in what is now known as West Midtown are being transformed into a mixed-use development of retail, restaurants and office space. Stockyards is already 65 percent leased.

Walgreens team members, Atlanta Councilman Kwanza Hall and Central Atlanta Progress President A.J. Robinson celebrate the grand opening of Walgreens in Downtown’s historic Olympia Building.

Honeywell to bring software innovation center to Midtown

Honeywell Corporation has bought the former Bank of America building on Peachtree Street and will bring more than 800 jobs in technology, software development and manufacturing to Midtown.

The company is investing $19 million to create a software innovation center that will provide 730 full-time jobs in software engineering. One hundred more jobs will be in the company’s global headquarters, also located in the Bank of America building. Most of the jobs will be in product software development.

“When innovative companies such as Honeywell choose to locate in Georgia, it is a testament to the state’s thriving technology sector and business-friendly climate,” Gov. Nathan Deal said on Sept. 12 during a press conference. “The University System of Georgia was instrumental in attracting Honeywell to our state and will continue to develop a strong workforce to meet the needs of innovative high-tech companies. Honeywell’s investment will maximize the technologyoriented talent of Georgia’s workforce and speaks to the state’s reputation as a premier destination for job creators.”

Our broadcast partner CBS46 contributed to this report.

Courtesy Honeywell

Gov. Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed were on hand at the State Capitol last month to welcome Honeywell Corporation to the city. The tech company has bought the Bank of America building in Midtown, which will become its headquarters.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

McKibbon Hospitality and Coro Realty Advisors will build a new, 186-room, 108,659 square feet Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton along Piedmont Road in Buckhead. The hotel will be located in the present shopping center named Buckhead Place, which is anchored by LA Fitness, Marshall’s, Pier One, Hyatt Place and the 05 Buckhead apartment tower. The Hampton Inn & Suites Atlanta Buckhead Place will front on a private access road that runs to Piedmont Road.

Huff Harrington Home is relocating to 3850 Roswell Road in Buckhead in October. The light and airy 5,000-square-foot store will offer more space to display Huff Harrington Home’s collection of furniture, lighting and home decor.

Techstars Atlanta, in partnership with Cox Enterprises, has selected 10 companies to participate in the program’s 2016 class. The inaugural program kicked off in August for 90 days. The goal of the program is to accelerate startup companies, along with their products and services. The Atlanta companies selected are LaaSer, a tech company that has created software to make sure 911 calls placed via cellphone provide the correct address, latitude and longitude to operators; Real Meal Delivery, which delivers fresh, made-from-scratch meals daily; and Sequr, visitor management system for communities using call boxes.

Plans to restore the Harp Transmission Service building next to Oakland Cemetery on Memorial Drive have taken on a decidedly modern twist. According to Curbed Atlanta, the 40-year-old building will be clad in a modern, glass-type structure and be transformed into a mixed-use space with a restaurant, retail, professional, cultural and entertainment area. Clark Property R+D and Pellerin Real Estate are partnering on the project.

Cycling studio Peloton has opened its first Atlanta showroom at Lenox Square in Buckhead. Equipped with a 22-inch touchscreen featuring live and on-demand fitness classes, Peloton’s design and technology puts riders in the center of each workout at home and offers in-depth fitness metrics and interaction with fellow riders across the country. For more information, visit pelotoncycle.com.

Noble Investment Group and Simon Property Group have opened AC Hotel Buckhead Atlanta at the intersection of Peachtree Road and Wieuca Road next door to Phipps Plaza. Along with 166 guest rooms and suites, and 24-hour health and fitness including indoor swimming, local companies may take advantage of the 2,500-square-feet of executive meeting space as well as the AC Library. Guests can enjoy a breakfast selection of self-serve European fare in the AC Kitchen while the AC Lounge boasts tapas-inspired small bites, craft beers, cocktails and wines.

Atlanta-based international beauty brand Little Barn Apothecary has opened Little Barn Apothecary + Co., their first retail store and flagship shop, in Atlanta’s Westside Provisions District, 1170 Howell Mill Road. For more information, visit littlebarnapothecary.com.

Dior Boutique has opened in 5,000 square feet at The Shops Buckhead Atlanta, offering women’s clothing and accessories, including ready-to-wear, shoes and handbags.

Comcast has donated $10,000 to the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Kids In Need program. The money will help provide school supplies to students across metro Atlanta whose academic success is threatened by poverty. In addition, local Comcast employees last week helped distribute the supplies from the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Jefferson Avenue location to area schools. For more on Kids in Need, visit acfb.org.

Results and patient experience may vary. In the U.S., the CoolSculpting procedure is FDA-cleared for the treatment of visible fat bulges in the submental area, thigh, abdomen and flank. Outside the U.S., the CoolSculpting procedure for non-invasive fat reduction is available worldwide. IC1995-A

Go Green

Revealing the Creek

South Fork Conservancy kicks off capital campaign

Plans to connect Buckhead to an urban wilderness is getting a big boost. The Kendeda Fund has pledged $500,000 to South Fork Conservancy, which builds and connects trails along Peachtree Creek in Atlanta and DeKalb County. The Kendeda Fund’s many goals include sustainability and improving connections to the natural world.

The announcement of the grant coincided with the kick-off of South Fork’s first capital campaign: Revealing the Creek. The group hopes to raise more than $2 million to build a pedestrian bridge, footpaths and other improvements that will link the Lindbergh area, PATH400 and the Atlanta BeltLine to South Fork’s existing creekside trails.

“Kendeda’s magnificent grant gives us a solid base on which we can work to raise additional money – including promised matching funds – and demonstrates that our goal is within reach,” said South Fork Board Chairman Bob Kerr.

Key South Fork supporters heard the news at a recent event hosted by capital campaign co-chairs Billy Hall and Joni Winston. Shortly before the surprise announcement, urban planner Ryan Gravel, best-known for inspiring the Atlanta BeltLine, recalled collaborating with Hall and Sears on South Fork’s initial vision plan.

“This topography and this terrain and this kind of watershed is all over Atlanta, but ‘all over Atlanta’ isn’t doing this,” said Gravel. “I think that the South Fork vision here is a real model for the rest of the region in terms of connectivity, stream restoration, nature, biodiversity and all the other kinds of elements that are part of this plan.”

For information on donating, or visiting South Fork’s four completed urban wilderness trails, visit SouthForkConservancy.org.

The Kendeda Fund has pledged $500,000 to South Fork Conservancy to help with sustainability as part of the organization’s capital fundraising campaign.

Yes, we’re in a drought!

ABOVE THE WATER LINE

It is 9 a.m. on an early fall morning and I have one hour to water the parched plants in my yard or I will violate the state’s outdoor watering restrictions. This long and brutally hot summer, Atlanta’s second-hottest ever, has been challenging, especially for us Southerners who love our gardens.

Since 2010, when a state water conservation law was passed – on the heels of an “exceptional” drought in north Georgia that dropped Lake Lanier 19 feet below its normal pool – homeowners have been restricted to the hours of 4 p.m. to 10 a.m. for outdoor watering. In truth, this is a minor inconvenience considering the importance of having enough clean water for our daily lives, the economy and healthy rivers.

Floods and droughts – the extremes that bracket what we think of as “normal” weather – are often mentioned together in news stories about climate disruption. A large political difference between them is the speed of their arrival.

Floods are quickly observed. Droughts, on the other hand, are much more slowly perceived, arriving in people’s lives like chronic ailments: they are preceded by periods of uncertainty about (or unwillingness to acknowledge) their existence.

By Sally Bethea

Sally Bethea is the retired executive director of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (chattahoochee.org), a nonprofit environmental organization whose mission is to protect and restore the drinking water supply for nearly four million people.

The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD), which is charged with officially declaring a drought and thereby triggering water-reduction requirements, has developed a penchant for delaying this important action.

During the exceptional drought of 2006-2008, state officials failed to officially declare a drought early enough to prompt conservation measures that could have reduced impacts on waterways and communities. By the time the state took action, it was too late to make much of a difference; people, businesses and rivers suffered.

This year, EPD did not declare a Level 1 Drought Response until September 9 – a full three months after the metro region reached “severe” drought conditions and two months after it moved into the drier “extreme” drought category, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Level 1 requires water utilities to enact a public information campaign, a modest first step that raises awareness.

Given the state’s delayed response to the current drought, it appears that our officials did not learn any lessons from the last dry period. Or, perhaps, this silence has more to do with the ongoing “water wars” in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint Basin and the big trial scheduled for late October.

Another explanation for the failure to act in a timely manner could be that metro growth boosters do not want any public acknowledgement that the region has water supply problems that have not yet been resolved.

While metro Atlanta has made real progress in conserving its limited supplies over the past decade, greater water efficiency can be achieved in every sector. Millions of gallons continue to be wasted daily through inefficient outdoor watering, supply system leaks, old plumbing fixtures and an increasingly paved-over landscape that keeps rainwater from soaking into the ground.

In the past 20 years, we have faced some level of drought 55 percent of the time – up from 45 percent in the past century. By all accounts, climate change will continue to bring droughts to our region every few years and some will be multi-year events.

Our state officials must embrace a precautionary approach to the drought-level determinations they make when severe droughts are documented by the federal agencies that manage the U.S. Drought Monitor.

This approach will help protect the public from exposure to harm when there is a plausible risk. That risk became evident in June this year and a drought should have been declared then. Precaution is just a smart way to manage our precious water resources conservatively and keep our gardens green.

Above: A buoy and several docks are left high and dry in Lake Allatoona during north Georgia’s exceptional drought in 2007.

Photo by John Bazemore

Below: The U.S. Drought Monitor is a weekly map of drought conditions that is produced jointly by several federal agencies. Visit droughtmonitor.unl.edu.

PEACHTREE HILLS 2275 Fairhaven Circle NE, $824,500

5BR/4fb. FMLS: 5687261

Dream Homes by Jenny 404-394-0934

GLOBAL CONNECTIONS

BROOKHAVEN 1074 Abington Court #17, $1,250,000 4BR/4fb/1hb. FMLS: 5683881 Dream Homes by Jenny 404-394-0934

DECATUR

1359 Rupert Rd , $305,000 Duplex. FMLS: COMING SOON Dream Homes by Jenny 404-394-0934

DRUID

VININGS

3930 Randall Farm Road SE, $680,000 4BR/3fb/1hb.

LINDRIDGE/ MARTIN MANOR

1005 Lindridge Drive NE, $365,000

3BR/2fb. FMLS: 5746158

Andy Philhower 404-964-4550

ATLANTA NORTH 770-622-3081

EAST COBB 770-977-9500

ATLANTA PERIMETER 770-394-2131

905 JUNIPER

905 Juniper Street NE #406, $279,000

1BR/1fb. FMLS: 5724241

Rodney Hinote 404-786-9562

MARTIN MANOR /LINDRIDGE

2317 Pembrook Place NE, $384,900

2BR/2fb. FMLS: 5746379

Andy Philhower 404-964-4550

BIG CANOE - NORTH GEORGIA 770-893-2400

FORSYTH/LAKE LANIER 770-497-2000

HIAWASSEE 706-632-7211

CROSSING 1069 Woodbridge Hollow NE, $289,900 3BR/2fb/1hb. FMLS: 5741951 Kevin Kilbride 404-229-5520

OLD FOURTH WARD 236 Lampkin Street, $479,000 2BR/2fb/1hb. FMLS: 5740143 Craig Mihaly 404-234-9098

PRINCETON LAKES 3631 Ramsey Close SW, $260,000 4BR/2fb/1hb. FMLS: 5746127 Brenda Shaw 404-379-4924

MURPHY, NC

268 Bill Curry Road, $849,900 3BR/3fb/1hb. FMLS: 5707336

Bruce J. Olsen 706-675-5228

HAYESVILLE, NC

45 Drake Ridge Lane, $525,000

3BR/3fb. GAMLS: 8069345

Bruce J. Olsen 706-675-5228

HARRYNORMAN.COM

BLUE RIDGE 706-632-7211

INTOWN 404-897-5558

BUCKHEAD 404-233-4142

BUCKHEAD CHASTAIN 404-233-1492

LUXURY LAKE & MOUNTAIN 706-212-0228

MURPHY, NC

645 Outlook Road, $435,000 3BR/3fb/1hb. GAMLS: 8008737

Bruce J. Olsen 706-675-5228

BUCKHEAD NORTH 404-814-9000

NORTH FULTON 678-461-8700

BUCKHEAD NORTHWEST 404-261-2700

PEACHTREE CITY 770-632-8526

COBB MARIETTA 770-422-6005

SANDY SPRINGS 404-250-9900

8200 JETT FERRY ROAD Offered for $4,900,000

612 WINDSOR PARKWAY Offered for $1,100,000

2522 HABERSHAM ROAD

4020 STOVALL TERRACE Offered for $1,795,000

1761 S PONCE DE LEON Offered for $3,600,000

3058 PLYMSTOCK LANE Offered for $1,499,000

1210 W GARMON ROAD Offered for $4,200,000

882 BARNETT STREET Offered for $925,000

1762 JOHNSON ROAD Listed for $799,000

1273 UNIVERSITY DRIVE Offered for $749,000

1206 MCLYNN AVENUE Offered for $1,299,000

979 CREST VALLEY RD Offered for $3,395,000

59 THE PRADO Offered for $1,795,000

3641 PACES VALLEY RD Offered for $4,695,000

3870 LAND O LAKES Listed for $999,000

981 DAVIS DRIVE Offered for $10,000,000

1055 REGENCY ROAD Offered for $1,399,000

1070 BALMORAL ROAD Listed for $599,000

948 HIGHLAND TERRACE Listed for $725,000 3915 CLUB DRIVE Listed for $1,999,000

Parks rule, cars drool! That was a post I found at the top of my twitter feed on September 16 to kick off PARKing Day. Founded in 2005, this is an annual pop-up event, held on the third Friday in September, to transform parking spots into temporary public parks.

People across the world converged on streets and parking lots to reclaim concrete spaces. Images abound of communities across the world converting parking spots into yoga classes, poetry readings, chess games, art installations, and inflatable pools and lounge chairs. Atlanta was no exception. Midtown, Buckhead and Downtown Atlanta all got into the act with fun ways to think of streets in more creative ways. The Office of Sustainability joined the Livable Buckhead- sponsored event at Lenox Square with edible plants and a stationary bicycle equipped with a blender smoothie maker. Transforming a mall into a mini park for a day was a great way for the Sustainability Team to engage with the public in how to think differently about public spaces.

PARKing Day reminds us that cities are built for people. For too long, large swaths of urban space are devoted almost exclusively to our car culture – roadways, parking spaces and lots, and gas stations. PARKing Day is a way to get us out of our cars and interacting with each other and our environment while also having a little fun.|

By Stephanie Stuckey Benfiel

Now more than ever we need to focus on how we envision urban space. With an upcoming ballot referendum enabling Atlanta citizens to invest in major transit alternatives, it’s critical that we re-think about how we want our city to grow. Do we want more parking to accommodate more cars on the road? Or do we want viable transit options that enable us to engage with each other as a community and transform our concrete islands into open, green spaces?

Although PARKing Day officially only comes once a year, I look forward to the day when city parks outnumber parking and communities gather in creative, fun ways in places once populated by cars.

Stephanie Stuckey Benfield is director of the City of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Sustainability.

Parking spaces around the city were transformed into parks for a day last month featuring exhibits, music and places to relax amid the hustle and bustle of the city.

ECO BRIEFS

The Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum has been awarded a Level II Accreditation by The ArbNet Arboretum Accreditation Program and The Morton Arboretum, for achieving particular standards of professional practices deemed important for arboreta and botanic gardens. The Atlanta BeltLine Arboretum, being planted and maintained by Trees Atlanta, is also now recognized as an accredited arboretum in the Morton Register of Arboreta, a database of the world’s arboreta and gardens dedicated to woody plants. An arboretum is a botanical garden focused on woody plants, which are grown for research, education and display.

to operate as an environmentally friendly hotel very seriously and have made a conscious, long-term commitment to ensure success by making this part of our hotel culture.”

• NOV. 13th

Edgewood Community Learning Garden 1503 Hardee Street, Atlanta. For more information, visit wyldecenter.org.

Park Pride and its project partners have been selected by the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA) to receive a Great Urban Parks Campaign grant for $437,500 to convert a neglected space on English Avenue into a vibrant public park, known as Boone Park West Park Pride, in partnership with The Conservation Fund, will facilitate a community-directed

visioning process to develop the park masterplan and ensure that the resulting green space meets the needs of the communities it serves.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the City of Atlanta, Georgia Stand-UP and local partners, have launched the Proctor Creek Trash Free Waters Community Workforce Program. The objective of the program is to reduce and eliminate the dumping of tires and trash that contribute to water pollution and bacteria, causing poor water quality in the Proctor Creek Watershed. The program will hire local workers.

fabrics & home

The Wylde Center is hosting five, free familyoriented gatherings, S’mores for All, from 5 to7 p.m. There will be a chance to explore the gardens, hear stories, and all the s’mores fixings will be provided.

• OCT. 9th

Oakhurst Garden 435 Oakview Road, Decatur

• OCT. 16th

Hawk Hollow, 2304 1st Ave., Atlanta

Solar America Solutions has completed

• OCT. 23rd

Solar panels at Grand Hyatt Atlanta in Buckhead.

S’mores for All at The Wylde Center.

The Studio

Chills and Thrills Halloween events and autumn festivals abound this month

Autumn is here and that means fall festivals and Halloween events galore all October long. View our round-up of events and be sure to check out AtlantaINtownPaper.com for even more.

Plaza Theatre

The circa-1939 cinema on Ponce de Leon Avenue in Poncey-Highland is hosting a Halloween series including “Monkey Shines,” “The Hollow,” “I Drink Your Blood,”

“The Love Witch” and many more throughout October. And of course “Rocky Horror Picture Show” is playing on Friday nights. Be sure to visit PlazaAtlanta.com for times and details.

Fall Festival on Ponce

The annual Fall Festival on Ponce is Oct. 15-16 at Olmsted Linear Park in Druid Hills. There will be more than 125 displays of fine art and crafts, folk and “outsider art.” There will also be a children’s area, food trucks and acoustic musical performances. Admission is free. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Visit festivalonponce.com for more information.

Skyline Park Halloween Party

Head to Ponce City Market’s rooftop – Skyline Park – for a Halloween party on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 8 p.m. to midnight. There will be live DJs, acrobatic performers, a Thriller zombie flash mob and boardwalk-themed games. There will also be trick-or-treating, themed cocktails and concessions This event will be open to guests ages 21 and up. Halloween costumes are highly encouraged. Cost: $35 per person. Visit poncecitymarket.com for more information.

Oakland Cemetery

What better place to celebrate Halloween than in a graveyard? Historic Oakland Cemetery will host “Capturing the Spirit of Oakland Halloween Tours” nightly from Oct. 21-23 and Oct. 27-30. This is the only time of year that the cemetery’s gates are open to the public after dark. Costumed guides take visitors on an hour-long tour to the final resting place of a few Oakland residents, who are “brought back to life” through historical re-enactments. Also coming up at Oakland are the Sunday in the Park fall festival on Oct. 2 and the Run Like Hell 5K/Run Like Heck 1K on Oct. 15. For tickets and more information, visit oaklandcemetery.com.

Little 5 Points Halloween Festival and Parade

The annual tradition will see thousands congregate in L5P on Oct. 15 to enjoy the artists’ market, food, drinks, live entertainment and one of the biggest Halloween parades in the South. The parade begins at 4 p.m. Costumes are encouraged! For more information, visit l5phalloween.com.

Room Escape Atlanta

If the idea of being locked in a room with strangers scares the hell out of you, then Room Escape Atlanta in the Old Fourth Ward has got something extra special for you. The Halloween-themed “Nightmare on Auburn Avenue” will put visitors into scary scenes from classic horror movies (“Night of the Living Dead,” “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” and “Paranormal Activity”) and give them only minutes to escape. This special haunted escape experience runs Oct. 1 to Nov. 6 Tickets are $25 - $28 and can be purchased at atlantaroomescape.com.

Netherworld

The classic haunted house is open all month long at 6624 Dawson Boulevard in Norcross. Named one of the scariest haunted houses in the world year after year, it’s worth the trip outside the Perimeter to have the pants scared off you. The attraction is divided into themed zones, including “Vault 13: Meltdown” replete with aliens, robots and a nuclear destruction. Find out more at fearworld.com.

Fox Theatre Ghost Tours

Beginning Oct. 9, guests will walk the haunted halls of one of the city’s most treasured landmarks to learn about ghastly sightings or unexplained bumps in the night. The specialty tours are approximately 60 minutes long, but aren’t recommended for children under 10. Tickets are $30 at FoxTheatre.org.

Downtown Art ELEVATE returns with public art festival Oct. 13-21

The theme of this year’s ELEVATE public art festival, set for Oct. 13 - 21, is “Microcosm.” Artists will explore how a community reflects the larger world around it.

Four curators have assembled more than 200 artists to create contemporary art and cultural events in order to spark dialogue around how a community deals with social, racial and economic issues ranging from inequity to gentrification.

ELEVATE “Microcosm” will take place in Downtown, primarily on Broad Street. All events are free and open to the public.

“Festival attendees will be able to engage with artists, historians and area residents,” said Camille Russell Love, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “We hope people who live and work in Atlanta will participate. We also invite anyone who enjoys contemporary art and is interested in exploring ideas around community. Our events will be lively, interesting and provocative. We’ll have a fabulous block party, interactive art installations, dance performances, large-scale murals, panel discussions, and historic bike and walking tours. Make plans to join us.”

Some of this year’s highlights will include:

• The creation of large-scale mural by painter and visual storyteller Yoyo Ferro on the side of the Atlanta Eye Care with help from members of the community.

• Freestyle hip-hop lyricists Soul Food Cypher will bring their interactive wordplay to the streets of Downtown and invite people to participate in a conversation in rhyme.

• Meptik will make an interactive light installation on Broad Street, utilizing metal awnings built during the 1996 Olympics.

• Innovative French dancer and choreographer Noé Soulier will perform his latest creation, “Removing.”

For more information, visit: ocaatlanta.com.

Greg Wohead

October 13-15, Times Vary

Greg Wohead is a London-based writer and performer, originally from Texas.

Hurtling

Remember a previous version of yourself, imagine a future version, and wonder who that makes you now.

The

Backseat of My Car

(and other safe places)

A gently interactive storytelling one-to-one performance that takes place in a parked car.

The Second City: Free Speech (While Supplies Last)

Saturday, October 22, 2016 8:00pm

The comedy spotlight falls on America’s electoral insanity with Chicago’s famous sketch and improv comedy troupe. Fresh, fast, and always spectacularly funny. Look for Georgia Tech’s improv group Let’s Try This to join the troupe on stage!

Shadowland by Pilobolus

Thursday, October 27, 2016 7:30pm

Back for an amazing display of shadow theater, dance, and circus, the show incorporates multiple moving screens that merge projected images and live choreography.

Call

Combining 40+ years of Intown Atlanta expertise with the largest international luxury real estate company in the world!

By Isadora Pennington

The pale, drab walls of the DeKalb Avenue underpass on Moreland Avenue in Little Five Points is set to become a lot more colorful, thanks to the work of two women and the collaboration of 22 others.

Artist Lauren Stumberg and art-lover Carly Berg are the driving force behind the Moreland Mural Project, which seeks to commission a large and complex mural featuring work by 22 female artists on the walls of the underpass.

With its close proximity to edgy Little Five Points, the underpass is a perfect canvas for a new project, and it was a conscious effort from the outset to actively seek out unfamiliar or underrepresented voices for this project, most notably women. “There is not a lot of gender equality in street art,” explained Stumberg.

Save for one international artist, all of the participating artists are local and nearly half are women of color. Many of these artists are also more likely to show in a gallery than on a wall, and for some this would be their first mural ever, a fact that does not deter Stumberg from her enthusiasm for the project. “I like the idea of blurring that line between gallery and street art.”

Stumberg’s own murals can be seen at a few spots around town, most notably the dancer across from Estoria, and the mural of legs just down the way in Cabbagetown. Common themes for Stumberg include symbols and portraits, plus an affinity for magpies. They often show up, abstracted, as little stick figure birds in her work, and represent positive omens or change.

Berg, on the other hand, is perhaps more focused on the community-building elements of this endeavor. Having grown up in Atlanta, Berg remembers clearly a Little Five Points that was a little rougher around the edges than the one that we know today. “This is where you go to do sketchy things,” Berg said with a laugh, noting that she even got her fake ID there back in the day.

In the years since, the area has managed to retain plenty of its counter-cultural roots, but there are some notable differences if you look closely enough. Though some of the area’s original standbys like Junkman’s Daughter remain, the encroaching influx of popular chains like Starbucks and American Apparel have at times threatened the sanctity of the existing independent shops and culture.

Fortunately for the area, and also for Berg who calls Candler Park home, the community in Little Five Points is a vocal and loyal one. By upholding zoning standards established years ago, the neighbors have effectively maintained a no-box-store haven in a city that is quickly being taken over by mixed-use shopping complexes. As an example, the always bustling Edgewood Shopping Center sits just on the other side of the underpass, and Stumberg theorizes that socially engaged art in the area could also serve to unite the nearby communities.

Moreland Mural Project

Drab underpass to become canvas for 22 female artists

In contrast to the vibrant culture around it, the underpass in question sits painfully pale. “I just felt like something needed to change,” said Berg. Not one to sit idly by, she is now President for Little Five Alive (littlefivealive.org), and has also gotten involved with Little Five Arts Alive, where she holds a position on the steering committee. Little Five Arts Alive is formed from a partnership between Horizon Theatre Company and the Little Five Points Community Improvement District, and seeks to provide arts programming that connects the community.

By getting involved with these organizations, Berg found an outlet for her passions and a good use for her business skills. It was a fortuitous introduction by Little Five Arts Alive director Rachel Parish that brought Berg and Stumberg together, and there was an instant connection. They began talking about the blank underpass, and they decided it was high time to do something about it. “When I met Lauren, I thought – this is my opportunity to do something creative,” and the Moreland Mural Project began.

Another big factor, beyond getting the neighborhood on board, Georgia Department of Transportation regulations met, and artists lined up, is finding the funding to put this whole idea in action. Stumberg feels strongly that artists deserve to be fairly paid, and she has set specific financial goals in the execution of this mural. “For some reason artists are one of the vocations where people are expected to work for free, so part of the funding from the grant will go towards paying the artists for the sketches that they generated.”

When Stumberg learned that the City of Atlanta pays individuals

$4,000 for an artist project, she decided that’s what she wanted to do for each of her 22 artists. All told, the two are seeking to raise around $100,000 for materials, artist pay, legal fees, traffic calming per DOT regulations, and renting the necessary equipment.

“We are kinda crazy,” Stumberg said with a laugh, “but we really want to amplify the voices of these artists and to show how art lends value to the community.”

Though there are many more pieces yet to fall into place before this project can come together, Berg and Stumberg are tentatively hoping to launch the project in spring of 2017.

To learn more about the project and keep up with its progress, visit facebook.com/morelandmuralproject or c4atlanta.org/project/little-5mural-project.

Photos by Isadora Pennington Lauren Stumberg, left, and Carly Berg are leading the effort to have 22 female artists paint a mural on the walls of the DeKalb Avenue underpass along Moreland Avenue in Little Five Points. Pictured at the top and bottom of this page are renderings of the proposed murals.

Inside the Lines

Local artists create therapeutic coloring book

By Grace Huseth

Coloring books for adults have become incredibly popular, especially for people seeking some artful stress release.

A group of local artists known as ColorATL have created their own coloring book, featuring everything from Atlanta icons and landmarks to modern designs.

Co-founders Willian Massey and Amber Guinn saw that the coloring craze had the potential to bring creative relief to places like cancer centers, health and hospice homes, transitional facilities and homeless shelters.

“Every day we see the power of art shift the atmosphere of the place we walk into,” Guinn said. “Old, hardened men become kids again, cancer patients get their minds off their condition even if it is for a few hours and our friends without homes regain a sense of dignity.”

Massey, whose work appears along the Atlanta BeltLine, has built strong relationships with artists from all over the city. He reached out to his fellow artist friends who eagerly jumped on board the idea to create a coloring book. Local artists include Sanithna Phansavanh, Peter Ferrari, Sam Parker, Maxim Beeching, Brandon Sadler, Stephanie Mma, Kyle Brooks, Lela Brunet and Connor Dwyer, who created the logo.

“We all feel in a way that we have a special connection to the therapeutic benefits of creative activity,” Guinn said. “Each artist shares how art has affected them in their blurb in the book. I think art crosses all borders to connect and help heal all of us.”

As an illustrator, Guinn said that creating pictures is the most effective way to tell a story. Guinn is an illustrator, designer and creative director at The Joy Market, a nonprofit children’s book publishing company. With her artistic and publishing mind, ColorATL has plans for prospering while promoting the community.

ColorATL Volume 1 will retail for $20 and will be released this fall online and at local retailers like Sam Flax. One-hundred percent of proceeds will support art programs in health facilities and social impact organizations around Atlanta. Of the nearly 4,000 printed, half will be for sale to the public and the rest donated using a 1-to-1 model: for every coloring book purchased, Color ATL will personally deliver a book to those in need.

For more about the project, visit facebook.com/colorATL.

Your family’s most comprehensive online guide to arts and cultural entertainment

Visual Arts

Atlanta Celebrates Photography: The largest annual community-oriented photo festival in the U.S. returns for a month of special events and exhibits at 100 venues across Atlanta. Daily. Price varies by event. acpinfo.org

Thomas Struth: Nature & Politics: See large-scale color photographs of the artist’s travels across the globe over the past 10 years, including two from Atlanta. Opens Oct. 9. $19.50. high.org

Docking on the Orphic Shore: Artist Seana Reilly explores the potential reality of a place undefinable in this exhibit of small works and handbound books. Closes Oct. 15. Free. whitespace814.com

Jennifer J. L. Jones: Light

Dwelling: Inspired by recent travels to Wales and Virginia, the artist revisits themes of home, roots, place and self. Closes Oct. 15. Free. alanaveryartcompany. com

Lavish Pigment: This group exhibit features artists in an inaugural exhibit from Daniel Byrd and established artists Tim Kent, Ashley L. Schick and Donald Robson. Closes Oct. 15. Free. kailinart.com

Kirsten Stingle: Sacred and Profane: In a solo exhibition, Stingle collaborates with over 20 artists to explore the sacred and profane moments of life. Opens Oct. 22. Free. thesignatureshop.com

Paul Stephen Benjamin: God Bless America: This 64-monitor, 3-channel video installation addresses black identity. Closes Oct. 29. Free. poem88.net

Before We Blast off: The Journey of Divine Forces: Southern contemporary artist Michi Meko takes over the Contemporary’s large blank atrium wall with a new work of art. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Free. atlantacontemporary.org

Magic Tree House Exhibit: Kids can learn about important periods in American history through this traveling exhibit based on the best-selling children’s book series. Daily. $14.95. childrensmuseumatlanta.org

Performing Arts

Dreamers of Dreams: Atlanta Master Chorale’s season opener features music of dreams, fantasies and wishes. Oct. 8. $10 to $20. atlantamasterchorale.org

The Abduction From The Seraglio: This farcical, colorful romance was one of Mozart’s first successes as a composer. Oct. 8 through 16. $25 to $140. atlantaopera.org

Moby Dick: Bold trapeze and acrobatic work turn this seafaring American classic into a thrilling experiment in aerial storytelling. Oct. 12 through 30. $20 to $72. alliancetheatre.org

Lewis Black: Known as the king of the rant, Lewis Black comes to Atlanta with his tour “The Emperor’s New Clothes: The Naked Truth.” Oct. 15. $49.50 to $79.50. tabernacleatl.com

Dance Theatre of Harlem: See the innovative dancers set classical ballet to the music of Aretha Franklin and James Brown. Oct. 22 and 23. $25 to $75. cobbenergycentre.com

Girls Life: This raucous new comedy follows young professionals on their search for romance, sex and friendship in a swipe-left generation. Closes Oct. 23. $10 to $28. pnotheatre.org

Bianca Del Rio: The alter ego of seasoned comic Roy Haylock and winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” is a hilariously hateful comic. Oct. 25. $37.50. variety-playhouse.com

a new composition, along with Philip Glass’s Symphony No. 3. Oct. 28. $5 to $50. arts.emory.edu

Soul Survivors Determination: A theatrical dance and music production celebrating R&B and soul music. Oct. 28 through 30. $30 to $40. ballethnic.org

A Halloween Weekend Spectacular: Watch Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” while the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performs the soundtrack live. Oct. 28 and 29. $42 to $70. atlantasymphony.org

Festival of Praise Tour 2016 – The Game of Life: The multi-city tour features Grammy, Stellar and BET Award-winning artists like Fred Hammond, Israel Houghton and Regina Belle. Oct. 29. $53.70 to $102.40. foxtheatre.org

Appropriate: In this raucous dark comedy, siblings return home to settle their father’s estate but uncover a disturbing secret.

Opens Oct. 29. $21 to $43. actorsexpress.com

Freed Spirits: This new play imagines what would happen if a freak tornado cut through Oakland Cemetery and disturbed any lingering ghosts. Closes Oct. 30. $25 to $35. horizontheatre.com

The Sleepy Hollow Experience: Following three sold-out seasons and recognition as a top Halloween play in the country, this spooky experience is back with a vengeance. Wednesdays through Sundays. $20 to $30. serenbeplayhouse.com

Proof: A young prodigy has inherited her father’s mathematical brilliance, but she also may have inherited his madness. Opens Oct. 25. $15 to $35. truecolorstheatre.org

Lindsey Stirling: Acclaimed electronic violinist and New York Times Best Selling Author Lindsey Stirling comes to Atlanta in support of her newest studio album. Oct. 26. $27.50 to $67.50. cobbenergycentre.org

Violinist Robert McDuffie & R.E.M.’s Mike Mills With Fifth House Ensemble: The unlikely duo performs

Atlanta Celebrates Photography event returns for18th year

By Martha Nodar

From professional photographers to students and amateurs, and from digital to black-and-white prints, the focus this autumn turns once again to the Atlanta

NEW

Celebrates Photography Festival, now in its 18th season.

October is the home of the annual event sponsored by ACP, a nonprofit organization that promotes the art of photography through exhibits, lectures,

DEVELOPMENTS

in two of ATLANTA’S HOTTEST NEIGHBORHOODS

Luxury townhomes centrally located to Midtown, Westside, I 285 and more. Open floor plans offer 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, with superior finishes. Community offers a fabulous dog park.

Priced in the mid 500’s. Brandon School District

and seminars held at public libraries, art centers, galleries, photography schools, museums and more around the city.

Among several exhibits gracing the walls of the Midtown-based Tula Center this fall is “My Atlanta Exhibition” in the Spencer Sloan Studio. This is a free and open event “where anyone can come and hang a photo” said ACP executive director, Amy Miller. This exhibition has been attracting students from local schools for several years.

“France Dorman’s photo class at Pace Academy and Dawn Wadsworth’s class at Grady High School participate every year and really show strong work,” Miller added.

Wadsworth, a Midtown resident, said the allure of black-and-white film rules her classroom.

“My students really enjoy working in the darkroom,” she said. “They love the hands-on process, manipulating the material, and seeing the final product.”

Center and hosting an open reception on October 8, 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Decatur Library is showcasing the juried compositions of members of the Decatur Digital Photography Meetup Group. “Visions and Voices,” may be viewed during regular library hours. The public is invited to a reception on October 9, 3 to 6 p.m.

Dunwoody resident Laurel Neels is a member of the Decatur photo group whose piece, “Spiral Staircase” taken at Hunting Island Lighthouse in South Carolina, made the cut.

Turning the lens toward Neels’ image, Fields said its “dramatic impact” captures a sense of intrigue.

“The circular border engages the viewers’ eyes in a sense of motion going down the spiral, lending toward the mystery of where the staircase may lead,” she said.

BROWNSTONES

OLD FOURTH WARD

Now Selling! Conveniently located to Downtown, Atlanta Beltline, Ponce City Market and Krog St. Market. Elegant townhomes offer 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths in a gated community with a pool. 410 Felton Dr.

Priced in the mid 500’s

Special features for both communities include ten foot ceilings on first and second level, coffered ceilings and fireplace in the living room, covered back decks, fabulous kitchens, spacious master suites with indoor & outdoor sitting area, elegant all marble master baths, much more!

Tacha Costner

404-274-8134 cell | 404-233-4142 office

The Showcase School of Photography’s students are also partaking in the annual festival at the school’s gallery on Sheridan Drive. Jan Fields, the school’s director, said a reception, open to the public, is planned for Oct. 14, 6 to 8:30 p.m.

Other venues rolling out the red carpet are the public libraries. The Buckhead Library is displaying the work of members of the Atlanta Artists

Miller emphasized this year folks will have the opportunity to find the specific style or type of photography they may prefer by searching in the Online Festival Guide and entering a keyword.

“For instance, “she said, “you can search for nature photography; or perhaps sports photography is your thing, so you can customize your experience.”

For a complete schedule and more information about the festival, visit acpinfo.org.

2108 DEFOORS FERRY BUCKHEAD

Atlanta photographers of all stripes are encouraged to submit photos for the “My Atlanta” event, left, while photographer Laurel Neels’ “Lighthouse, S.C.” will be on exhibition during ACP.

Out and About LGBTQ celebration set for Oct. 8-9

The Atlanta Pride celebration returns to Midtown on Oct. 8-9 with a weekend of parades, music, food and more.

The weekend kicks off Saturday with the annual Trans March (1:45 p.m.) to celebrate the transgender community and the Dyke March (6 p.m.) at Piedmont Park to empower women. The big event of the weekend, the Atlanta Pride Parade, will be held Sunday starting at noon sharp. The parade will step off from the Civic Center MARTA station and make its way up Peachtree to 10th Street and on to the park.

At the park, there will be a weekend of music by Tris Day, Erica Dawson, The Mad Violinist, Nina Sky, Zara Larsson, JD Samson, Deven Green, and Saturday’s headline event with Jody Watley and Shalamar. The Starlight Cabaret featuring some of the city’s best drag performers closes out Sunday night.

For a full lineup of events, visit atlantapride.org.

Behind the Camera SCAD offering classes for film & TV professionals

By Isadora Pennington

As Atlanta continues to blossom into the Hollywood of the South with big budget films and television programs being filmed here on a daily basis, there is an education gap for aspiring film and TV professionals that the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) Atlanta hopes to fill.

“Training of this caliber is usually only offered in LA and New York,” explains Brantly Watts, SCADFILM’s Industry and Community Outreach Manager. “What we are trying to do is bring that here, and with proper training, creatives in Atlanta will have the opportunity to reach the caliber that is an industry standard elsewhere.”

SCADFILM also seeks to make this kind of training more accessible when it comes to costs. For a class like the Secrets of a Strong First Draft with Oscar-nominated writer Kim Krizan that is currently in session, “you would normally pay $1,400 to $1,500; we are offering it for $299,” Watts says. That, combined with the fact that students don’t have to take time off from work to travel to another city and then pay for lodging while attending those courses, makes SCADFILM classes much more attainable for anyone who’s interested in taking their skills to the next level.

Classes include subjects like Camera, which teaches basic film technique and application with top-of-the-line cameras and equipment. Beyond the basics, SCADFILM offers classes for special effects makeup, screenwriting and certification for a range of camera systems.

The SCADFILM initiative officially launched in April of 2016, and already the first classes have been filling up. SCAD seeks to provide a year-round schedule of weekly training events, master classes, curated screenings, and software and equipment certifications that are open and accessible to all who would like to work in the industry.

“Our hope is that above the line talent will flourish in Atlanta, and that we will have a more sustainable film industry that isn’t only reliant on a tax credit,” Watts says.

To learn more about SCADFILM’s courses, networking events and movie screenings, go online to scad.edu/scadfilm.

Dan Sasser loves coming and going as he pleases. That’s just one of many reasons he chose Canterbury Court to be his home.

“I left a tenured position so I could live wherever I wanted. Then I retired at 60 and was working part time when I discovered Canterbury Court. I thought, ‘How wonderful it would be to live there.’”

When he decided to move to Canterbury Court, he chose a studio apartment, which he says “is more than big enough for me.” The maintenance-free lifestyle also lets him keep a second home in Florida and take frequent road trips.

Dan says people are “missing the boat” by not moving to a retirement community sooner. “Here you have several restaurant options, all kinds of activities and excursions, a theater with daily showings, a heated pool and wellness center, 11 acres of beautiful gardens ... it’s like being on a permanent vacation!”

Canterbury Court is Atlanta’s first and foremost continuing care retirement community, non-profit, and committed to welcoming all people.

Courtesy Atlanta Pride

News You Can Eat Classic Burgers

Intown serves up some of the best burgers around

By Isadora Pennington

It’s rather a mystery, the popularity and masterpiece that is the hamburger. It’s one of those meals that can be a quick, late night, cheap eat from a fast food place, or a fine dining experience at a top-rated restaurant. At its root, a grilled meat patty between bread with some toppings doesn’t really sound all that glamorous. But there’s no denying it, burgers are a true American classic.

The juicy, flavorful, hot beef patty is perfectly matched with a buttery bun, the crispness of fresh lettuce, a juicy slice of tomato, and (for me, of course) ooeygooey cheese melting down to unite them all. Dress it up, or dress it down, the burger is dang fine eats and has done its job pleasing folks since its inception way back in the 1880s.

The true origins of the burger are up for some debate. With ties that link back to Hamburg, Germany, this combination of grilled meat between bread has been a contentious invention from the start. Claims of origin and use of the term “hamburger” can be traced back to Chicago, Boston, Connecticut, and the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, where it was described as “the innovation of a food vendor on the pike” by the New York Tribune.

Hamburgers exploded in popularity, and fast food chains quickly caught on. Due to America’s contentious opinion of Germany post WWI, the first chain to sell a hamburger did so under the moniker “slider,” at a small, fast food restaurant by the name of White Castle in Wichita, Kansas, back in 1921. In the next 20 years, fast food chains and restaurants quickly adapted this affordable, quick and delicious meal, including McDonald’s, Krystal and Bob’s Big Boy.

These days, you can find a burger on the menu of most bars, pubs and restaurants, plus nearly all fast food chains. So what’s to differentiate between them? How does one sit down and say, “This, this is the best burger?” For me, the distinction comes in the balance between the ingredients. Each of the burgers I sampled for this piece has its own unique personality, if you will. The flavorings of the beef, the sweetness of the bun - every attribute adds something to the overall effect of the meal. That, combined with an overall experience and atmosphere at the restaurant, is what makes these burgers stand out among the rest here in Atlanta.

B. Big Al’s Butter Made Burgers

The Original Butter Made Burger, lettuce, tomatoes, American cheese and Big Al’s gourmet sauce: $5.78 2221 Peachtree Road bigalsbuttermadeburgers.com

C. Grindhouse Killer Burgers

Beef Burger (Jr.) One 1/4 lb. patty: $4.50 433 N. McDonough Street, Decatur www.grindhouseburgers.com

D. H&F Burger Ponce City Market

Double patty, bread and butter, pickles, red onion, American cheese: $12 675 Ponce de Leon Ave. NE hfburger.com/ponce-city-market

E. The Vortex

Ground sirloin, lettuce, tomato, sweet red onion, American cheese: $10.15 438 Moreland Ave. thevortexatl.com

A. George’s Bar & Restaurant

The original 5 oz. ground chuck burger: $6.50 1041 N. Highland Ave. georgesbarandrestaurant.com

Hot Eats

By Collin Kelley

With the arrival of autumn comes a heapin’ helpin’ of new restaurants, offering up everything from pizza to barbecue and baked goods to steamed buns. We’ve rounded up a list of eateries that have newly-opened, are opening soon or just announced for the near future. Be sure to add these to your “must-try” list.

8 Arm

Chefs Angus Brown and Nhan Le have opened the small coffee shop and restaurant at 710 Ponce de Leon Ave., serving up breakfast, lunch and dinner. Information: facebook. com/8arm.

Amalfi Pizza and Red Phone Booth

The former Dailey’s space in Downtown at 17 Andrew Young International Blvd. has been transformed into two separate eateries. Red Phone Booth, a “prohibition experience” with cigar lounge and craft cocktails, is located on the first floor. Guests will enter by securing a secret phone number and dialing it into a restored antique London red phone booth in the entryway. Upstairs, Amalfi Pizza’s menu includes Neapolitan-style pizzas as well as appetizers, salads, pasta dishes and desserts made famous at Dailey’s. Information: amalfipizzaatl.com and redphonebooth.com.

Bell Street Burritos

Bell Street Burritos has opened a new location in the Stove Works, 112 Krog Street, on the Atlanta BeltLine. Information: bellstreetburritos.com.

Café + Velo

Artist Jeff Demetriou and Atlanta BeltLine Bikes owner Benjamin Boisson have opened up a hybrid café and bike shop at 381 Edgewood Ave. offering Octane Coffee, French baked goods, and a breakfast and lunch menu. The shop also has bike parts and bike rentals, croquet and morning yoga. Information: cafeandvelo.com.

Caravaca Market

This restaurant concept from chef Harry Pagancoss is slated to open next spring in The Trace, a new mixed-use development in Midtown, at 780 Peachtree Street. The 5,981square-feet space will have an “urban market, a bakery and cafe (Harry Bakes), wine shop and craft beer bar.

Amalfi Pizza

Bell Street Burritos

Red Phone Booth

MUST-DO FOOD, BEER, WINE AND COCKTAIL FESTIVAL

Hot Eats

A crop of new restaurants has opened around Intown

Continued from page 41

Cast Iron

Chef Evan Cordes is taking over the former Last Word space in the Highland Walk building, 701 Highland Ave., to serve up seasonal dishes for dinner and weekend brunch. The new eatery is expected to open this month or early November. Information: facebook.com/castironATL.

Char Korean Bar & Grill

This new Inman Park restaurant from Richard Tang, located in Inman Quarter at 280 Elizabeth Street, is serving up traditional Korean barbecue, kimchi fried rice, japchae, Korean fried chicken and more. Information: charatlanta.com.

Double Zero

After closing its Sandy Springs location this summer, Castellucci Hospitality Group has reopened Double Zero in its new Emory Village location at 1577 North Decatur Road. With a new space comes a new menu from Executive Chef Edwin Molina featuring oxtail, pork belly corndogs and braised beef ribs as well as pastas and pizzas. Information: doublezeroatl.com.

Filo’s Greek Grill

Now open in Chastain Square, 4279 Roswell Road, Filo’s is a neighborhood diner offering spitfire rotisserie lamb, pork and chicken served in pita breads or on top of a Greek salad, potatoes or spinach rice. For the omnivores, Filo’s also offers roasted vegetable pitas, salads and traditional Greek foods such as spanakopita and tiropita served Greek mezze style. Information: filosgreekgrill.com.

Georgia Beer Garden

The team that brought you Joystick Gamebar are expected to open their latest project any day now at 420 Edgewood Ave. with a Southern take on the classic German biergarten. Information: facebook.com/georgiabeergarden.

Highland Bakery

The favorite breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch spot was expected to have two new locations open at press time – in Decatur at 319 West Ponce de Leon Ave. and near the Georgia State University campus at 25 Park Place.

Larkin on Memorial

Paces Properties has announced that Taqueria del Sol and Ramen Station will be part of its Larkin on Memorial project across from Oakland Cemetery in Grant Park slated to open next summer. Taqueria del Sol’s new outpost will be its fourth in the city offering up its straightforward menu of Mexican cuisine, while Ramen Station is coming from restaurateur partners Michael Lo and George Yu, the team behind Makan in Decatur and the forthcoming Suzy Siu’s Baos in Krog Street Market. The 1,700-square-foot space will offer ramen bowls with artisan noodles, steamed buns, seasonal appetizers and a craft bar beverage program.

Nexto

Chef Mihoko Obunai was expected to open this new ramen restaurant over the summer, but now October is on the menu. Information: nextoatl.com.

Rize Artisan Pizza

The new pizzeria plans to open on the ground floor of the 675 North Highland apartment building later this month. The 3,500-square-foot restaurant with outdoor patio will serve up pizza and salad.

Scofflaw Brewing Co.

The brewery’s tasting room is now open on the Westside, 1738 MacArthur Blvd., in a converted warehouse space

Double Zero

Scofflaw Brewing Co.

featuring vintage Belgian beer hall tables and Indonesian wedding chairs. The tasting room gives guests a peek into the brewing room filled with stainless steel vats and a soon-tooperate canning line. Information: scofflawbrewing.com.

Scout

Restaurateurs Chris Martha and Chef Michael Semancik were expected to open their new eatery in Decatur’s Oakhurst neighborhood, 321 West Hill Street, in September. The menu will feature “interpretive regional cuisine” alongside a craft cocktail menu from beverage director Nate Shuman. Information:facebook.com/ScoutOakhurst.

Suzy Siu’s Baos

The creators of Makan in Decatur will open this stall in Krog Street Market, 99 Krog Street, in November offering up steamed buns with pork belly, duck, seafood and vegetarian options.

Yumbii Taco Shop

Atlanta’s first food truck will open its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Buckhead at 1927 Peachtree Road this month. The 1440-square-foot restaurant will have counter service for easy takeout and seating for dine-in guests. The menu will fuse Asian and Mexican flavors for panko-crusted fish tacos, Asian rib-eye Philly’s, spicy-pulled pork sliders, and sides like sesame fries with sriracha cheese dip. The restaurant will also have breakfast tacos, salads, street corn and rice bowls. Information: yumbii.com.

Suzy Siu’s Baos

Yumbii Taco Shop

GO OUT ON A LIMB

When Tom Catherall called it quits on the Here to Serve restaurants, he left a giant hole in Midtown where Shout used to be. Everyone was hit hard - the gay Sunday brunch crowd, the small firm business lunch crowd, the dinner between museum and theater crowd, and certainly some of Atlanta’s most fun and chatty servers. Shout did so many things so well without looking too much like it was aiming for the lowest common denominator. I am pleased to report that where Shout once was, 5Church is now holding it down and then some. The valet service is great and they have umbrellas. The patio and the upstairs deck are both shaping up to open as soon as the weather cools a bit. The decor is stunning. The layout of Shout always made it hard to people watch, with the darkened booth niches and huge circular bar blocking the view from the stairs. 5Church has really opened up the place, as well as classed it up by opting for a stark black and white color scheme that plays off the loud street art on the walls. Upon closer inspection, the whole ceiling is covered with the entire hand-painted text of Sun Tzu’s Art of War. Wear some hot pink and prep for a great photo op.

Tasting Intown

By Megan Volpert

The food lives up to the space. 5Church began in Charlotte and opened in Charleston before coming here as well, and they really understand how to do plates that are both Southern in their comfort and cosmopolitan in their construction. Might have something to do with James Beard Awardwinning executive chef RJ Cooper. One dish for which he isn’t responsible is the “60 second” New York strip, featured on the menu in all three cities, from the mind of partner and chef Jamie Lynch. Equal parts delicious food and food for thought, the steak gets a quick sear on one side so the heat soaks up into it and leaves the other side barely cooked. Examining pink from one side instead of in the center results in a whole new mouthfeel and that is worth trying for a change of pace.

On the other hand, there are a couple of plates that are worth ordering over and over again. They’ve got a wasabi crusted ahi tuna on a bed of miso foam and seaweed salad that will make you forget Shout ever existed. Ditto for the jumbo lump crab, which is done as a salad and not as a cake. On the brunch and dinner

Megan Volpert lives in Decatur, teaches in Roswell and writes books about popular culture.

A. The rooftop space at 5Church in Midtown

B. Jumbo lump crab cake

C. “60 second” New York Strip

D. The ceiling features the handpainted text of Art of War

E. Peanut butter and jelly pie

menus it’s a first course, but on the lunch menu it’s an entree. Personally, I could take a bath in it. This is also the case for the cave aged cheddar agnolotti, piled high with the pop of peas and the crunch of ham, straight out of autumn’s fantasy food land and hopefully will stay on the menu year-round. The sides are served family style and I don’t know why you’re bringing your kids to Midtown, but they will happily enjoy the mac ’n’ cheese while you bask in the afterglow of that creamy agnolotti filling.

For dessert, get the peanut butter and jelly, which is a delicious experiment in layers. Then again, the duck-fat beignets are a serious challenger and the oven roasted pineapple is improving. The coffee is from a roaster near the original Charlotte location, and as much as 5Church has brought its familiar touches from home, it fits into Atlanta already. The bar program is maybe a little on the fizzy and fruity side of things for me, but hey, what’s Midtown without a wild berry mojito and a rosemary gin fizz? There are a dozen kinds of bubbly, too, so if you miss Shout more often than you like to admit, go toast to 5Church’s success.

5Church is at 1197 Peachtree St. For more information: 5churchatlanta.com.

Taste of Atlanta

Food festival returns to Midtown Oct. 21-23

More than 90 restaurants are taking part in this year’s Taste of Atlanta, which returns to Technology Square in Midtown Oct. 21-23.

The event gives festivalgoers the chance to sample bites and drinks from a wide range of Atlanta eateries. Some of the participating restaurants include Barcelona, Bone Lick BBQ, Hampton + Hudson, il Giallo, The Optimist, Smoke Ring, STK Atlanta, Taqueria del Sol, Venkman’s and Wrecking Bar Brewpub.

You can also watch Atlanta’s top bartenders compete for the title of Taste of Atlanta’s Best Bartender at the Barcraft Competition, pick up grilling tips at the Big Green Egg Grilling Stage, learn tips and technique at The Chef’s Table and CNN’s Holly Firfer will host The Kitchen Workshop where you can get hands-on instruction in the culinary arts. General admission tickets are on sale now for $25 and VIP tickets are $75. There are also various packages for two and three-day attendance. Tickets are on sale at tasteofatlanta.com.

GrandOpening

QUICK BITES

Inman Park Restaurant Week returns Oct. 3 - 9, with neighborhood restaurants offering special $15, $25 and $35 menus. Participating restaurants include Fritti, PURE Taqueria, North Highland Pub, The Luminary, Il Localino, Wisteria, Sotto Sotto, Parish, Wrecking Bar, Rathbun’s, Rathbun Steak and Barcelona. For more information visit inmanparkrestaurantweek.com.

The Center for the Visually Impaired (CVI) will host the first Dining in the Dark on Oct. 9 at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center, 800 Spring Street, from 4 to 8:30 p.m. This unique fundraising event is designed to raise awareness about vision loss, with all proceeds benefitting CVI. Guests will experience a sumptuous three-course meal served in complete darkness. The featured menu will be designed by Chef Todd Ginsberg of The General Muir and hotel Executive Chef Damiano de Nicolo. CVI is also partnering with members of the Atlanta Police Department SWAT Team, who will serve as wait staff for the evening, using night-vision equipment to navigate the dining space in the dark. To purchase tickets, call (404) 602-4279.

The Chattahoochee Nature Center welcomes top local chefs for its annual outdoor tasting event Harvest on the Hooch on Oct. 16 from 1 to 4 p.m. Guests will enjoy a variety of seasonal farm-to-table fare paired with samples from local craft breweries and wineries. There will also be live bluegrass music, garden games and tours. Tickets are $45 in advance; $55 at the door, if available. Children’s tickets are $15 (ages 10 and younger are free). Get tickets at harvestonthehooch.org.

Petite Auberge , 2935 N. Druid Hills Road, hosts their 20th annual Oktoberfest Party on Oct. 22 from 6:30 to 10 p.m. The event features a buffet with all-you-caneat traditional German and Bavarian cuisine, music, dancing and a souvenir glass. The party costs $50 per person and includes coffee, tea, tax and gratuity. Reservations are requested by calling (404) 634-6268.

Fresh MARTA Markets are open – or soon opening – outside the fare gates at four rail stations from 3 to 7 p.m. The weekly pop-up markets offer fresh, healthy foods

Hours:

Tickets are available for Harvest for a Cure on Oct. 20 at Mason Fine Art, 415 Plasters Ave., pairing 18 chefs and pastry chefs with 18 sommeliers and mixologists. The event is a fundraiser for the Georgia Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Tickets are available at nationalmssociety.org.

in a transit-accessible location. The schedule: West End (Tuesdays, now through Dec. 6); Five Points (Fridays, now through Dec. 9); College Park (Thursdays, Nov. 3-Dec. 8); and H.E. Holmes (Wednesdays, Nov. 9- Dec. 7).

Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q and Taqueria del Sol raised $36,924 during their recent Foxeria del Sol fundraiser. The funds go to Hogs for the Cause, a nonprofit for pediatric brain cancer outreach services in the United States.

On the Cutting Edge of

“Nice Moves, Nana!”

Texas-based cookie-maker Tiff’s Treats is now open in Midtown at 848 Spring Street. The shop delivers baked-to-order warm cookies and brownies, straight from the oven, to businesses and homes. For more information, please visit cookiedelivery.com.

Chef and restaurateur Shaun Doty has closed Bantam + Biddy’s Midtown location on Crescent Avenue and plans to open a new concept in its place called The Federal. This bistro, set to open in November, will serve breakfast and lunch.

Northside Hospital Cancer Institute diagnoses and treats more breast and GYN cancers than anyone else in Georgia and leads a statewide network of the National Cancer Institute Community Oncology Research Program. So you have access to the latest cancer research and treatments close to home. Northside Hospital offers a lifetime of care — a long, long lifetime.

Fox Bros BBQ is expanding to the westside next spring with a new location off Moores Mill Road near Marietta Boulevard and Coronet Way, according to a report from AtlantaLoop. com. The restaurant is being developed by Eden Rock Real Estate Partners in Westside Village at Moores Mill. On Oct. 3, Fox Bros will open its “Que-osk” in a shipping container in Armour Yards at 120 Ottley Drive, Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For more information, call 404-531-4444 or visit Northside.com.

Where the Extraordinary Happens Every Day

Home & Real Estate

Urban Lifestyle

Amenities, walkability driving condo & townhome sales

By Kathy Dean

In September, INtown published a big cover story called “On The Rise” about the resurgence of the condo and townhome market. In less than a month, we’ve seen more evidence of the trend with the announcement of another condo tower in Midtown, new townhomes in the Old Fourth Ward and the sell out of a new townhome community in VirginiaHighland.

Located at the intersection of Crescent Avenue and 13th Street, Trillist has proposed 43-story SLS Atlanta Hotel & Residences, which would contain 214 hotel rooms and 66 condo units. In Old Fourth Ward, the Studioplex on Auburn Avenue will expand with 19 new townhomes over retail shops.

Meanwhile, Dorsey Alston and Walnut Meadows Real Estate Development have announced that all 40 of the townhomes in its Virginia Park development in VirginiaHighland have been sold. The average home price: $532,000.

“There’s no question that the Intown condo market is hot,” said Jennifer Kjellgren, founder/broker of Intown Expert Realty. She shared some quick stats for the past six months: Downtown has seen more than 100 condo/townhome sales, and there’s now less than a three-month inventory. Over 850 condos/townhomes have sold in Buckhead, also leaving about a three-month inventory. In Midtown, there have been roughly 550 condo sales, with less than a one-month supply remaining. Even smaller buildings in Morningside, Virginia-Highlands, Old Fourth Ward and Inman Park have seen the same activity. Well over 250 condos have sold in those areas, leaving less than a month’s worth of inventory.

With more and more businesses moving into the Midtown and Buckhead areas, condos allow residents the convenience of walking or using public transit to get to work in 10 minutes or less. Car services, like Zip Car and Uber, let city dwellers ditch their autos and still live and work comfortably in Atlanta. Since developers are building retail space into their projects, residents have neighborhood stores, restaurants, coffee shops and boutiques that create small, selfsustaining communities within a few blocks.

“I’d say the number one amenity drawing homebuyers to Atlanta condos and townhomes is the walkability factor,” said Bill Golden, a Realtor at RE/MAX Metro Atlanta Cityside. “Location is more important than ever as traffic continues to grow. Most of the condos and some townhomes are in more walkable, urban environments than single-family homes. Many of my clients get very excited at the idea of being able to walk to restaurants, bars,

Continued on Page 50

Studioplex SLS Atlanta Hotel & Residences

Virginia Park

For the first time, the Buckhead lifestyle finds its expression in a luxury condominium building.

With a location right in the heart of Buckhead at Peachtree and West Paces, residents will find all of the Village’s key shopping, dining, social and business destinations right at their doorstep. All the on-tap services and day-to-day convenience of condominium living now come with a prestigious Buckhead Village address.

The Charles offers two and three bedroom residences and penthouses. Limited presale pricing now available for phase I from $1.3m. To schedule an appointment, please call our Sales Team on 404 975 3770, or register your interest on our website.

THECHARLESBUCKHEAD.COM

Urban Lifestyle Amenities, walkability driving condo & townhome sales

Continued from Page 48

shops, nightlife and even grocery stores. And proximity to the Atlanta BeltLine and other trails, parks and green spaces is becoming increasingly important.”

Of course, financial considerations are another huge factor in the increased popularity of condos and townhomes. Many consumers have been priced out of the market for Intown single-family detached residences.

“Millennials are starting to buy homes, and Intown detached housing doesn’t always fit in their budgets,” reported Chris Aiken, Intown Expert Realty agent. “They’re not interested in being house poor; they want to travel and use their money elsewhere.”

Townhomes and condos tend to distribute maintenance responsibilities and costs across a greater number of owners, keeping costs more manageable. For example, in a townhome community where four homes share a common roof, the cost of replacing the roof is distributed over the four units.

“The benefits certainly include the peace of mind that comes with the fixed maintenance costs that condos and townhomes afford. Busy singles and retirees who travel really love the idea of a lock-andleave situation where they don’t feel tied down to taking care of a home,” Golden explained.

While purchase and maintenance costs are important factors for many homebuyers, others look to condos and townhomes for Intown luxury. Kjellgren pointed out that there’s a great inventory and selection available for buyers in the $1 million and up price

Movin’ On Up

A real estate agent takes the condo plunge

By Kathy Dean

Christopher Burell has extensive knowledge about condos and townhomes. As Senior Vice President and Managing Broker of The Intown Office of Harry Norman, Realtors he has helped many homebuyers choose the type of property that best fit their lifestyle. A little over a year ago, he himself made the shift from a single-family home to a high-rise condo.

Burell said that he’d lived within a four-block radius of Midtown since 2005. He had owned and renovated two Victorian homes in the area until, in August 2015, changes in his personal life forced him to sell. Although he made a reasonable profit from the house sale, he realized that he couldn’t afford another single-family home in Midtown due to the rise in prices.

“I had no desire to leave the community that I’d come to enjoy so much,” Burell said. “I love running in Piedmont Park and walking to shows at the Fox Theatre or jazz nights at the High Museum. I love meeting friends for dinner at one of the neighborhood restaurants, attending the area festivals and being a

part of the vibrancy that’s alive in the heart of the city.”

Burell found that the only way he could remain in Midtown was to purchase a condo. In the same month as his house sale, he closed on a condo and downsized from a 3,000-square-foot house to a 1,100-squarefoot condominium.

“The exercise of downsizing was something I think we all should do,” he said.

“It makes you prioritize your life. It forced me to realize all the stuff I’d collected and to organize. You learn what’s important and how to live differently.”

These days, Burell walks his dogs several times a day, an activity that has introduced him to many of his neighbors as well as other dog lovers who work in the nearby office buildings. He also walks to the grocery store, only buying enough food for a couple of days at a time. According to Burell, that’s partly because he can only carry a few grocery bags when walking, but also because the area has so many enticing eateries for dining out.

“I have a bike so I can cycle around Midtown and enjoy early Saturday morning rides along the BeltLine,” he added. “At my condo, there’s a pool I use to relax and a gym for morning workouts. My concierge knows me and my puppies, and watches out for us.”

Burell listed some other benefits: there’s no time-

consuming yard work to do; the building concierge signs for any delivered packages; laundry can be picked up and delivered at the building; there’s a garage, so there’s no stress about auto break-ins or limbs falling onto cars during heavy rainstorms; and living on a higher floor means home break-ins through windows are no longer a concern.

Even with all these pluses, Burell admitted that there are still some things he misses about having a single family home. “I miss being able to park at the back door and walk into the house; now I park in a garage and take an elevator to my home. I also

miss working on a garden in the yard, and my dogs miss the freedom of running and playing in a fenced yard.”

He said that moving to a condo has definitely impacted the way he lives, but it’s something he’s glad to have embraced. It’s even given him a better perspective for his career. “As a real estate broker, it’s important to live in the communities where you represent clients,” Burell stated. “I truly believe it gives me a great deal of understanding of what clients are experiencing and it allows me to relate to them more directly.”

Realtor Christopher Burell downsized from a single-family home to a condo in Midtown, below, and has no regrets.

The view from Virginia Hill

Ansley at Piedmont The Mayfair

range. She noted that while this segment of the market is seeing movement, it’s not as dynamic as the entry- to mid-levels.

“In the Intown markets, 1010 Midtown, Viewpoint, Metropolis and Plaza Midtown are some of the buildings that have experienced the most movement,” she reported. “The inventory in these buildings is at a minimum. Some condos sell in a day or two, while others may take months to sell, but the average time on the market is still very low, at about a month.”

All four of the buildings are located in Midtown, the premier condo destination since the late 1990s. Kjellgren said that the Midtown Alliance’s Blueprint Midtown 1, rolled out in the late ‘90s, is a major contributor to the area’s popularity. It began a trend of holding developers accountable to building standards, such as no parking lots in front and ground-level retail, that aimed to provide a walkable lifestyle.

Ansley at Piedmont, another luxury project, is located directly across from Piedmont Park and just a few hundred

yards from the Atlanta BeltlLine. The seven townhomes, listed at $1.4 to $1.6 million, draw a lot of interest.

“Our buyers are looking for the lock-andleave lifestyle without sacrificing the space and feel of a home,” said Jim Getzinger of The Getzinger Group, Atlanta Fine Homes, Sotheby’s International Realty, Intown Office. “Ansley at Piedmont was designed by Monte Hewett Homes to provide homes with those great outdoor spaces not normally found in condos and townhomes. Each one features accordion doors that open to a private rear courtyard that connects the unit to their carriage house with a finished guest suite above.”

Townhomes and condos also fit into the trend toward less living space. Today’s consumers are taking a close look at how they live in their homes. Many homeowners realize that they tend to use only a portion of their homes, yet they’re paying high costs in utilities, property taxes and maintenance for large houses.

“People are looking to right size their lives, and condos provide that ability. With the rise of tiny houses, condos and townhomes provide something similar with a different look and feel. The reduced maintenance, increased social ability and simplification of life all make condos attractive,” explained J Dunn, Intown Expert Realty agent. “After all, it’s a lifestyle that the homebuyers are purchasing.”

Who cares for Atlanta? Piedmont does. Now more than ever.

Krog Street Market

The 2016 Ansley Park Tour of Homes will showcase eight dwellings that exemplify the neighborhood’s inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places. The tour, which will be held Oct. 1 from noon to 6 p.m. and Oct. 2 from noon to 5 p.m., will also highlight the construction of One Museum Place and the “re-imagination” of iconic Colony Square. For tickets and information, visit ansleytourofhomes.com.

»

»

»

Lloyd Wright’s famed Fallingwater house. Developers Mill Creek have announced plans for Modera Buckhead at the corner of Peachtree and Pharr roads, just across from The Shops Buckhead Atlanta. The 21-story tower will feature 400 luxury apartments, 21,000 square feet of retail space and some high-end amenities, including a “sky bar” with cocktails concocted with fresh herbs grown in a roof garden, a demo kitchen for cooking classes

»

»

»

• Has child birth or menopause relaxed or stretched your feminine tissue?

• Is dryness limiting or causing painful intercourse?

• Do you occasionally dribble or leak when you sneeze, cough or exercise?

• Have you ever “not quite made it” to the bathroom on time?

A new apartment tower, lilli Midtown, will rise at the corner of 3rd and Peachtree streets in Midtown, just steps away from the Fox Theatre.

The unusual, glass-clad 24-story building will feature 150 apartments and 4,000 square feet of retail space. The developer, JPX Works, built the mixed-use Inman Quarter in Inman Park and is also constructing another unusual tower in Buckhead called Emerson inspired by Frank

and parties, two pools, a rooftop dog park, yoga studio and juice bar.

Memphis-based Storage Development Partners is under contract to buy twothirds of an acre from Parkside Partners and its medical office building at 2061 Peachtree Road in Buckhead to build a storage facility, according to BisNow. The 125,00-squarefoot storage building would be designed to look like an office building.

Jessica Guilfoil Killeen, WHNP-BC

lilli Midtown

Modera Buckhead

Juniper and 5th

Eden Rock Real Estate Partners plans to develop old warehouses in West Midtown into a mixed-use project called Westside Village at Moores Mills. The 100,000-square-foot development at 2260 Marietta Blvd. would feature restaurant, retail and office space as well as 19 townhomes.

Peachtree Hills

Place, the luxury active living community, has already received reservations for 41 of its condominiums and one single-family lot, or almost 50 percent of the initial offering of 85 condominiums and eight singlefamily home sites. Peachtree Hills Place is slated to open in 2019. Currently, condominiums start at $696,500. Amenities and services include a clubhouse with multiple dining venues, a fitness and wellness center, security, transportation, assisted living, memory care and skilled nursing.

Southeast Capital Companies plans to build a six-story apartment complex called Juniper & 5th in Midtown. The building will have 150 apartments and amenities such as a pool, fitness center, rooftop terrace, club room and more.

Developers Landmark Properties and Selig Enterprises have begun work on The Standard, a mixed-use student housing project at Spring and 4th streets in Midtown. The 19-story building will have 280 units and more than 11,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.

Lennar Multifamily Communities has proposed a 27-story apartment complex on 13th Street called 195 13th Street. The building would have 307 rental units, a lounge and a 7-level above-grade parking deck.

tisiV:yadot

The 20-story Sixty 11th building opened last month in Midtown, bringing 319 residential units, ranging from studios to three-bedrooms, and 14,000 square feet of retail space to the 12th and Midtown development. Sixty 11th is the second multifamily project Brasfield & Gorrie has completed in Atlanta this year.

nopuoCseripxe6102/13/21 noitcafsitaS,ydutSdesab821,61sesnopsermorfseinapmocgnirusaemsecneirepxedna ,yraurbeF-yraunaJ.6102ruoYsecneirepxeyam.yravtisiVmoc.rewopdj6102©nimajneBerooM& ,rehto,LAGERdnaehtelgnairt”M“lobmyseraderetsigerskramedartdesnecilnimajneB AMHTSADNAYGRELLANOITADNUOFACIREMAdnaYGRELLASDRADNATS.DTL

00.5$FFO

Westside Village

The Standard

INtown contributing photographer Marcos Ordaz (see more of his work on Instagram @mardaz_) captured the top and far left image of one of the Pianos for Peace located along the Eastside Trail of the Atlanta BeltLine. Colorful pianos were placed around the city in September and pedestrians, like Megan Keck, were encouraged to stop and play. In the middle photo, hundreds turned out for the Labyrinth Masquerade Ball at the Center for Puppetry Arts to mark the opening of the new Jim Henson exhibition about his cult film, “Labyrinth,” starring the late David Bowie. In the far right photo, a rendering of the massive falcon sculpture by artist Gábor Miklós Sozke that will be located in the main plaza of the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium. At 41.5 feet tall with a wingspan of over 64 feet, it will be the largest bird sculpture in the world.

•

DECATUR - Additional office, separate LR & DR, open kitchen w/breakfast area, family room w/ FP. Home features an actual garage (not a carport), fenced yard, automatic gate, mudroom, hardwoods and the best front porch ever. 4Bed/3.5Bath $779,000

FMLS: 5728205 Kathleen Sickeler 404-368-3234

THE BROOKWOOD - Priced to sell! Featuring a split bedroom floor plan with impressive foyer opens to great room w/floor-to-ceiling windows & wide-plank wood floors. Two large bedrooms with walk-in closets and en suite bathrooms. 2Bed/2.5Bath $729,000

FMLS: 5685016 Lisa O’Connor 404-307-5700

BUCKHEAD - Crisp clean upgraded in Mandarin Oriental. Sweeping views Stone Mountain to downtown. Designer finishes. 2 guest bedrooms w/private bath. Covered terrace w/fireplace, 11’ ceilings & hardwood floors. 3Bed/3.5Bath $2,500,000 FMLS: 5719742 Michael Kondalski 404-234-9379

BUCKHEAD/DEFOORS - Private retreat in the trees. Large LR, separate DR & sunroom. Lots of cabinet storage in the kit & laundry room. Hrdwd floors, walk in closet and private updated bath. Private covered deck. 4Bed/2.5Bath $375,000 FMLS: 5732590

Michael Kondalski 404-234-9379

MORNINGSIDE - Spacious brick home on wide low-maintenance lot. Just a short stroll from Morningside Elementary. Tastefully updated and renovated.

5Bed/3.5Bath $699,900 FMLS: 5649861

Erin Fye 404-771-9822 or Sally Westmoreland 404-354-4845

ANSLEY PARK - Incredible views of Midtown through amazing wall of windows. Located directly across from Piedmont Park, this 2BR/2BA condo has tons of space. Fresh paint, rare 2 covered parking spaces $499,000

FMLS: 5742676

Nicole Davis 404-358-6252

OLD FOURTH WARD - Custom built gem! Steps to the Beltline. 4 Side Brick, 2 Car Gar, Bright Open Flrpln, extensive molding and hdwds throughout. 10 ft+ ceils on main, 3 fireplaces. Move in ready! 5Bed/4Bath $785,000

FMLS: 5722401

Ed Woods 404-759-9680

COTTAGES AT COLLIER - Open floorpan includes kitchen w/granite counters and stainless steel appliances. Overlooks living room w/fireplace. Separate dining room. Heart of Pine floors throughout home.

4Bed/4.5Bath $764,000 FMLS: 5745286

Mike Kondalski 404-234-9379

LAKEWOOD HEIGHTS - New Construction Craftsman style home w/ 9’ ceilings and hardwood flooring on main level, granite countertops and stainless steel appliances

3Bed/2.5Bath $194,900

FMLS: 5717243

Kirby Young 404-660-2468

DECATUR - Immaculate ‘Stoney River Homes’ customized to provide overly spacious rooms, formal LR, sep DR and large family room w/ FP, open kitchen & screened porch. 4Bed/3.5Bath $729,900

FMLS: 5727043 Kathleen Sickeler 404-368-3234 or Erin Fye 404-771-9822

DECATUR - Large Stoney River Home underway! Will be ready early 2017, so now is the time to customize and make it your own! Well thought out floorplan and details! Finished basement with BR/BA and additional family room. 5Bed/4.5Bath $949,900

FMLS: 5721211 Kathleen Sickeler 404-368-3234

DECATUR - Beautiful recent construction just 3 mi. from downtown Decatur, Oakhurst, East Lake CC and convenient to interstates! Impeccable condition, boasting large master on main and two gracious sized BRs. 3Bed/2.5Bath $274,900 FMLS: 5717877

Sally Westmoreland 404-354-4845

EMORY/VICTORIA ESTATES - Walk to Emory/ CDC! Home is larger than it looks, lots of closets, storage, very bright & open, huge sunroom, separate LR & DR, full in law suite in lower level, great yard for entertainment - Perfect for a growing family. 4Bed/3Bath $469,900 FMLS: 5686573 Ann Hudson 404-307-9902

MARIETTA/CLOSE IN - Elegant 4 sided brick on deep lot. Hardwood floors, custom built-ins, and great floorplan for family living or entertaining. Upstairs huge master suite with his & her closets and updated bath.

4Bed/4.5Bath $449,900 FMLS: 5728927

Sally Westmoreland 404-354-4845

BROOKHAVEN - Lovely community of higher end townhomes. Open plan for easy entertaining plus deck, just re-carpeted in the BRs and freshly painted for immediate move-in, short stroll to the MARTA station.

4Bed/4.5Bath $549,000 FMLS: 5741270

Sally Westmoreland 404-354-4845

EAST ATLANTA - Walk to East Atlanta and The Beltline!